Waiting....Anticipating?

So I was dying to get my hands on Lover at Last. There had been all this build up and tease from both Ward and her fans. When I finally got the first copy from the library I tore into it and had it read in about 7 hours. Hey give me a break I had to go to Bible study that night.

I was less than thrilled with book 11. Though I've loved all the previous books. Well Lover Reborn irked me a little bit. Not the book but just some of the actions of the characters. Namely Xhex. I still don't like her and probably never will. However that is neither here nor there.

Synopsis: Wrath and the Brotherhood are locked in an epic battle over his throne and the very future of the vampire race.

My Thoughts: Lover at Last left me a little disappointed. After 11 books its almost as if Ward has forgotten what her characters sound like. In LAL all the brothers started to sound the same and the stars of the book Blay and Qhuinn were overshadowed by the introduction of new characters and plot lines. I know she had to set up the next book but that still should have taken a backseat to Blay and Qhuinn. I mean she didn't let them finally get together till 500 into the book, and then we had to read about the progression of their relationship in the epilogue. I just didn't think was fair since their build up started in book 5.

So while I am waiting for the King I don't know if I am anticipating it. So many of my favorite urban fantasy books came out of the gates swinging hard only to end up in a dark alley face up with Colombian necktie. I fear the BDB is walking toward that alley. There's enough time for her to turn it all around, but she has to be careful. I mean there are have tidbits about the book released by Ward herself. Apparently we are going to get more Murdher in the book and my only question is...who asked for more Murdher? He's some crazy vamp from Xhex's past do we really need an actual plot line with him in it?  I can't be the only one who doesn't care about him. We get to see more of the orgy chick that services Assail and the Bastards. Like I care about her either.

I think if Ward got rid of all these extra characters and side stories she could focus on the crux of the BDB universe. I'm just praying the BDB don't go the way of the Dodo bird.

Book Babblings

Rise of the Fallen by Donya Lynne


The Nitty Gritty: Micah Black is a male on the edge. The edge of his 18th floor balcony. His mate packed up his bags and walked out. That would be fine for a normal man to get over, but not a bonded vampire. Its a fate worse than death.

And Micah wants to die. He sets up his murder at the hands of Apostle, a dreak cop itching to bust a few vampire heads. In steps Samantha Garret. A ex-army medic currently working the pole at the Black Garter trying to escape an abusive husband. She breaks up the vampire execution and incurs the wrath of Apostle. along the way she brings Micah back from the brink of self destruction.

Opening Line: "Glass shattered as the heavy vase flew across the room and smashed against the wall."


The Good: For a free book this was a great first opening gambit. It wasn't spectacular by any stretch of he imagination, but it was enough to pique my interest in the series.  The book should have been longer. I felt like Lynne cut a lot out to make it fit into the free e-book category to entice readers and buys.

She took a detour on the sex and introduced us to vampire BDSM with some subtle knife play. I have to give her an A for effort on that front. It wasn't a smack in the face with the BDSM, it was a natural flow.

The sex scenes were good I would have liked to have seen more POV switches during the sex however. It all seemed to be coming from Sam's POV and I thought that it would have up the steam factor to have gotten Micah's POV once in awhile.

The Bad: This reads like Black Dagger Brotherhood fanfiction. Now don't get me wrong its a nicely written book and I finished the whole thing, but the similarities with the BDB is uncanny.

1. We have a set of vampire warriors charged with protecting the race.
2. they have been fighting this foe for years.
3. The books center around the matings between the AKM and their mates. Be they other King's Men. or other females.
4. Vampire males have biological bondings and matings with their mates
5. Vampires can dematerialize and wipe memories from the minds of humans.
6. All the AKM are scared males that need the loving touch of their mates to redeem them.
7. everyone is either a male or a female.
8. Local watering hole that AKM go to to unwind, troll for sex and drink.

Micah and Sam's relationship went from 0 to 180 mph in less than 2.5 seconds. There just wasn't enough time for the give and pull you would expect from a male that tells you he is a blood sucking vampire. Now I wasn't looking for a meltdown. But come on at least give me half a chapter or something. Sam thought about it for ten seconds before she climbed into bed with Micah.

The opening chapters were used to info dump which I hated. I mean it did open with the fight Micah was itching for, but then it was a lot of backstory that could have been woven in with byplay between the characters.

Final Thoughts: I hope that in the books to follow she steps out of the BDB mold and carves out a series for herself. I do want to read the second book at least.

Waiting and Anticipating.....

So I've been a Ward fan since I got the recommendation to read Dark Lover from a friend on Goodreads. These so called BDSM erotic writers trying to ride El James very short coattails should beg Ward to give them lessons on how to write a sex scene. The woman is good and so are her scenes. Though she does tend to use the same word over and over again, but then there are only so many ways you can use to describe a woman's who-ha.

I've loved the Black Dagger Brotherhood since Wrath and Beth's story. I was a little miffed at Ward for Lover at Last. However this isn't a BDB book. This is an Fallen Angels novel and I am looking forward to it. Jim was the very of a very high cliff overlooking the pit of hell itself. I can't say that I understand what going on with him and Sissy and I can't really say that as this point I even care about her. I mean that's cruel to say but I am more interested in the game between Jim and Davina than anything else.

Synopsis: When Cait Douglass resolves to get over her broken heart, throw off her inhibitions, and start really living, she’s unprepared for the two sensual men who cross her path. Torn between them, she doesn’t know which to choose--or what kind of dire consequences could follow.

Jim Heron, fallen angel and reluctant savior, is ahead in the war, but he puts everything at risk when he seeks to make a deal with the devil--literally. As yet another soul is unwittingly caught in the battle between him and the demon Devina, his fixation on an innocent trapped in Hell threatens to sidetrack him from his sacred duty...

Can good still prevail if true love makes a savior weak? And will a woman’s future be the key, or the curse, for all of humanity? Only time, and hearts, will tell.

My Thoughts: I think this book is going to the tipping point in the good verse evil struggle. I am loving the gay angle with the angels. I mean being a Christian it was a little shocking to say the least but then I just remember that this is a work of fiction and not to be taken seriously. That is a hard think for a diehard nerd like me though. I mean I'm just waiting on submitting my Star Fleet application.

I want to see what is going on with Eddie. They are just carrying around his body and I have a feeling that is going to come into play later in the books. I hope its this one. I can't stand this mopey Adrian. I need him being hard and fast. He makes this books a lot more interesting when he has something to prove.