The Shadows (Black Dagger Brotherhood #13) by J.R. Ward - Betrayed by a Breakfast Cereal

Blurb…

Two brothers bound by more than blood fight to change a brutal destiny in the heart-wrenching new novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by #1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward.

Trez “Latimer” doesn’t really exist. And not just because the identity was created so that a Shadow could function in the underbelly of the human world. Sold by his parents to the Queen of the S’Hsibe as a child, Trez escaped the Territory and has been a pimp and an enforcer in Caldwell, NY for years- all the while on the run from a destiny of sexual servitude. He’s never had anyone he could totally rely on... except for his brother, iAm.

iAm’s sole goal has always been to keep his brother from self-destructing- and he knows he’s failed. It’s not until the Chosen Serena enters Trez’s life that the male begins to turn things around... but by then it’s too late. The pledge to mate the Queen’s daughter comes due and there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no negotiating.

Trapped between his heart and a fate he never volunteered for, Trez must decide whether to endanger himself and others- or forever leave behind the female he’s in love with. But then an unimaginable tragedy strikes and changes everything. Staring out over an emotional abyss, Trez must find a reason to go on or risk losing himself and his soul forever. And iAm, in the name of brotherly love, is faced with making the ultimate sacrifice...

WARNING! This review is loaded with spoilers explaining why I feel angry and betrayed by this story. Stop here if you don't want to know, in detail, what happens to Trez and Selena.

No, I'm serious - there are a ton of spoilers here.

Still reading? You sure you want to do this?

Last chance!

Okay, but you were warned!

All. Bets. Are. Off!

I have such incredibly mixed feelings about this book, and I’m not sure I’ll ever get them sorted out. Sometimes a story will gut me, and The Shadows did just that. In truth, I don’t remember a time I cried myself to sleep over a book – but I did this time. It was at moments laugh out loud funny, window fogging steamy, sweetly romantic, and profoundly tragic.

I always say that an author should write a story the way that story comes to him or her, and I stand by that. However, that doesn’t always mean I’ll like the story they felt compelled to tell. Well, the story as The WARDen felt compelled to tell it was done so brilliantly, but this is one of those times when I did not like the story itself. This is not how the Black Dagger Brotherhood series started out, and not since Phury and Cormia’s book have I felt so cheated out of a happily ever after!

The first 60ish% of the story was amazing. I loved every bit of it and had been thinking, “THIS is the way it should be! THIS is what made me fall in love with the Brotherhood so many years ago!!” Rhage’s one-liners, Lassiter’s eccentric, fallen self, V and Jane’s quickie in the clinic, and Manny and Rhage’s trip to Caldie, everything read like the original books and I was thrilled, and captivated, was falling in love with my Boys all over again! I was basking in all that Caldwell happiness… until it happened and I was devastated.

In a blog post explaining why things went the way they did (click here to read the full post), The WARDen said that if she tries to write a story any other way than the way her Rice Krispies give it to her, it shuts down. Goes blank. She either tells it the way it comes to her, or it can’t be told. I get where she's coming from, and honestly, as I kept reading late into the night because I needed a miracle… something to fix the unfixable, even as Trez was up on that pyre with the body of his beloved Selena, I waited. Needing something, anything to make this right. At the same time, I knew if she pulled a rabbit out of her hat and presto'd the happy ending for Trez and Selena, I would have been disappointed and still miffed that Wellsie died and Jane is now Ghost, MD.

On one hand, I gotta hand it to her; she stayed true to her Rice Krispies and made it real. On the other hand... it became painfully clear to me that when I'm reading to escape and waiting for - and expecting -the happily ever after that’s going to give me hope that true love exists and can overcome any obstacle… I don't want real. Real. Sucks!

And, if this truly is the way Trez and Selena’s HEA was 'meant' to play out, it should have played out in a different series, in a different world. A world where no one expects happily ever afters…A world where it's okay for an author to spit on romance.

The bottom line…

In the real world things can be horrific and unfair and brutally tragic, which is why I read romance - I want to escape the reality that can be ugly when loved ones pass from our lives. This book is not true romance - not the kind I've come to look forward to from this author. Sure, iAm and the Princess got hooked up, but if that’s supposed to make me feel better, it's a failure of EPIC proportions! Their HEA sucked. They got the shaft in the happily ever after department and it in no way made up for or eased unforgivable debacle that was Trez and Selena’s story.

Am I ready to throw in the BDB Towel? Nope! Well, not yet anyway. I’m still too invested in the Brothers to turn my back now, but as I said, all bets are off. This book scared the hell out of me because the Black Dagger Brotherhood is no longer a series I can count on to make me forget the ugliness of the real world, if only for a little while. I will always be on guard, always wondering who will be offered up as a sacrifice to the all mighty Rice Krispies next.

And that is every bit as heartbreaking as Ward's desecration of Trez and Selena’s not-at-all happy happily ever after.

Click here to purchase The Shadows at Amazon

Visions of Heat (Psy-Changeling #2) by Nalini Singh and Angela Dawe

Used to cold silence, Faith NightStar is suddenly being tormented by dark visions of blood and murder. A bad sign for anyone, but worse for Faith, an F-Psy with the highly sought after ability to predict the future. Then the visions show her something even more dangerous - aching need...exquisite pleasure. But so powerful is her sight, so fragile the state of her mind, that the very emotions she yearns to embrace could be the end of her.

Changeling Vaughn D'Angelo can take the form of either man or jaguar, but it is his animal side that is overwhelmingly drawn to Faith. The jaguar's instinct is to claim this woman it finds so utterly fascinating and the man has no argument. But while Vaughn craves sensation and hungers to pleasure Faith in every way, desire is a danger that could snap the last threads of her sanity. And there are Psy who need Faith's sight for their own purposes. They must keep her silenced - and keep her from Vaughn.

This world that Nalini Singh has created is amazing. Absolutely enthralling! I love the way the stories unfold, the trials, the triumphs... it's a brilliant world, overall.

This particular story was a bit slow to start, and I had some problems getting into it. But once things started rolling, I was hooked and couldn't get through it fast enough.

I'm in the minority here, but I wasn't as impressed with Angela Dawe's narration this time. She does a great job with the Psy... their lack of emotion, the awe in their voices as they begin to see the world the way it really is... she's great with them, but I'm having problems with her portrayal of the Changelings.

I highly recommend this series to fans who like steam with their Sci-Fi and Urban Fantasy.


Purchase Visions of Heat at Amazon

Slave to Sensation - Psy-Changling #1 - by Nalini Singh

Description…

Dive into a world torn apart by a powerful race with phenomenal powers of the mind—and none of the heart…

In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of “rehabilitation”— the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was….

Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a Changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy co-existence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several Changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion—and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities—or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation…

***********

4.5 Holy Hot Shifters stars!

Slave to Sensation is the first book in Nalini Singh’s wildly popular Psy-Changling series. This world she’s created is exciting, passionate, poignant… it’s like none I’ve ever read before. I’ll start by saying that I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for years, but never felt the pull to read it. My awesome Goodreads friend, Kristen, and I were chatting on the phone and she started raving about the audio version so, me being a recent convert to audio books, decided to give it a listen.

Sweet Mary! Am I ever glad I did!!

There are so many awesome reviews already written, but even though everything that needs to be said has already been said, I want to share my thoughts, too. Like I mentioned above; it’s an exciting, passionate, poignant world, and it’s so unique that if you asked me to compare it to some other series, or another author’s writing, I wouldn’t be able to do it. PNR and Fantasy are what lay the foundation for this world, and even though I am not a fan of the Fantasy genre, this worked for me, no doubt about it. A big part of why it worked is that the characters are people whose lives make this a very emotionally charged, poignant read, and those characters are people whose stories demand to be told.

Angela Dawe is the narrator and she did a fantastic job of showing the emotions these people feel; frustration, helplessness, pain… and yet hope, strength and joy.

I hear these stories just get better and better and I cannot wait to find out for myself!

Thanks for the not so gentle nudge to listen, Kristen! YOU ROCK!

Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors by Molly Harper, Narrated by Amanda Ronconi

Just as Jane Jameson’s unlife seems to be stabilizing, fate sinks its fangs firmly into her butt. Despite her near-phobia of all things marital, her no-frills nighttime nuptials to her sexy boyfriend Gabriel are coming along smoothly. But the road to wedded bliss gets bumpy when a teenage acquaintance is fatally wounded in front of Jane’s shop and she turns him to save his life. The Council pronounces Jane responsible for the newborn vamp until he can control his thirst.

Jane’s kitchen at River Oaks barely holds enough Faux Type O to satiate the cute teen’s appetite and maintain Gabriel’s jealous streak at a slow simmer. As if keeping her hyperactive childe from sucking the blood out of the entire neighborhood isn’t enough to deal with, the persnickety ghost of Jane’s newly deceased Grandma Ruthie has declared a war on the fanged residents of River Oaks. Suddenly,
choosing monogrammed cocktail napkins and a cake that she can’t eat seems downright relaxing in comparison.

Tensions inside the house are growing…and outside, a sinister force is aiming a stake straight for the center of Gabriel’s heart. Most brides just have to worry about choosing the right dress, but Jane fears that at this rate, she’ll never make it down the aisle for the wedding all nice girls dream of…

*********

Nice Girls Don’t Bite Their Neighbors is the fourth in Molly Harper’s Jane Jameson books, and not only a great end to the series, but a nice segue to the spin-off series, Half Moon Hollow.

Jane and Gabriel are finally getting married, but this wouldn’t be Jane Jameson’s undead life if things went smoothly. Ghosts, ghouls, vampires, shifters… you name it and they’re part of Jane's world. Some are funny, some are annoying, some are charming, and some are damed sexy, but all can be counted on to keep things interesting.

I’ve really enjoyed this entire series. The books are witty, easy reads, and Amanda Ronconi does a fantastic job narrating them. But whether you read or listen, you’re sure to be thoroughly entertained.

I highly recommend these books for fans of light urban fantasy and paranormal romance.  

One for the Wicked by Karina Cooper

In this thrilling finale to Karina Cooper's Dark Mission series, New Seattle's witches will rise again…or fall forever.

Dr. Kayleigh Lauderdale possesses the only cure for what's killing the city's witches. Desperate to acquire it, the resistance sends their best agent, but Shawn Lowe has his own agenda, and it doesn't include saving anyone—least of all, the daughter of his sworn enemy. He has to ignore the blistering attraction he feels the instant they meet, because he can't give in until he gets what he wants. He just never counted on wanting her…

Kayleigh can't believe how out of control Shawn makes her feel. He lies to her with one breath and excites her beyond reason the next. A reckless encounter could steal her heart, while the danger hovering over the city may prove too much for either of them to handle. When the world turns upside down, it will take everything Kayleigh and Shawn have to hold on…to life, to hope, to each other.

*********

One for the Wicked is the fifth book in Karina Cooper’s incredible Dark Mission series. It's the perfect balance of paranormal, urban fantasy, and suspense with a hard fought, well earned, happily ever after.

I was given books 4 and 5 to review and I wish I had taken the time to go back and read from the beginning. The plot is quite complex, and this is one of those series that, to be truly understood and appreciated for the masterpiece it is, needs to be read in order. But that said, One for the Wicked is an engaging story filled with twists and turns and characters who, no matter their role, are compelling people who drive this story, start to finish. It’s edgy, exciting, intriguing, complex, romantic, passionate… it’s a truly brilliant finale to the series.

My thanks to Avon Books and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer

“Another person has been reported missing in downtown D.C. in a string of disappearances that has police baffled. This brings the total number reported missing in the past six weeks to twelve. This last incident is believed to have occurred near George Washington University.”

And so it begins....

The Story:

Vampires live only for lust and pleasure in the eternal twilight of Vamp City. But the city's magic is dying. The only person who can restore it? A beautiful woman from the mortal world...one who knows nothing of the power she wields.

Washington, V.C. is the backdrop of Pamela Palmer’s latest series, Vamp City. It’s a world on a different plane than ours, a duplicate of Civil War era Washington, D.C., supposedly created as a place where vampires, werewolves, and other immortals, could live in their version of peace. No sunlight, no laws but their own, able to hunt, enslave, torture and kill humans without fear of retribution. A true Vampire Utopia.

But even utopias have a dark side, and Phineas Blackstone, the powerful wizard the vampires had paid to create their dark city, had engineered a brilliant one—a death trap finally sprung two years ago. The moment the magic began to fail, all vampires within the city’s boundaries had become instantly caught, unable to escape. Soon, the sunbeams from the real world had begun to break through—slowly, at first, then more and more frequently until it became clear that their world was dying. And with it, every soul trapped within—vampire, werewolf, and immortal human alike.

Only by renewing Vamp City’s magic would they be saved.

Quinn and her brother Zack accidentally land in Vamp City, and it doesn’t take long for the Vampires residing there to figure out that there's much more to Quinn than meets the eye. In fact, unbeknownst to her, she’s a powerful sorceress who might just be Vamp City’s final hope for survival. But as the days go on and Quinn, who's being held as a slave, sees the world for the barbaric place it is, she starts to wonder if maybe it wouldn’t be better if Vamp City died, after all. The only problem is that Zack is also being held prisoner, and Quinn knows if V.C. dies, so will he.

My Thoughts:

Pamela Palmer is a name I frequently see running through my friends’ feeds on Goodreads, and always with high praise and impressive ratings. I actually own several books in her Feral Warriors series, but haven’t gotten around to reading them, yet. Well, after reading A Blood Seduction  and getting a taste of her writing, that’s going to change, and change soon.

This world Ms. Palmer has created has a decidedly Urban Fantasy feel about it, but the actions of the characters living in there make it a dark paranormal story. It's brutal, edgy, barbaric, and there are scenes of sexual violence, so anyone sensitive to things of this nature should consider themselves forewarned.

Arturo, the so called "hero" in this book, is one nasty, backstabbing, unfeeling ass. He reminds me of Anne Stuart's Ice heroes in his uncaring, selfish machinations. Truth be told, I'm not sure he's redeemable, but only time will tell.

I truly enjoyed Quinn. She's strong, smart, independent, devoted, caring... she really is a great heroine. I'm excited to see how things with her play out in the next book, A Kiss of Blood.

Fans of dark fantasy and paranormal romance will definitely enjoy this series, but be aware - this has an unresolved HEA.

The Bottom Line:

I love Paranormal Romance, especially vampires and shifters, but let's be honest here - the genre has been done to death. It's not often I run across a world as unique and compelling as Ms. Palmer's Vamp City is, so you can bet this is a series I'll keep following. It's fast paced, gritty, sexy, and downright disturbing at times, and I am thrilled to have found these books!

Note: The descriptions and quotes I used are taken from both A Blood Seduction and A Kiss of Blood.

Books in the Vamp City series, so far: