Lover Enshrined

First off, I’d like to say that I loved this series….up until this book. I’d read this book years ago, and only recently re-read it out of boredom, and to see if my initial reaction was an overreaction. Sadly, it wasn’t, and this review is something I should’ve written years ago.

After EVERYTHING Phury sacrificed for his brothers, only to have them completely turn their backs on him, kicking him out of the brotherhood in his time of need, just sickened me. I lost any respect I had for the brotherhood after this book. Even worse, their actions made all their talk of loyalty and how rare brotherhood members are in previous novels completely irrelevant. It was like reading about entirely different characters than the ones I came to know and love in previous books. It just made no sense and to be honest, I felt a bit betrayed. I truly feel the author could’ve done better.

Then there’s the romance aspect. There was really no depth to it. Why did he fall in love with her? I don’t mean that as an insult to Cormia, it’s that they didn’t have a lot of interaction with one another. Not enough for him to suddenly realize she was his. It went from Phury’s unrequited love for Bella, well known in previous novels, to suddenly loving Cormia? After just a few interactions? Yeah, I don’t think so.

The first time I read this, I completely stopped reading the series. It just seemed pointless since everything I loved about the brotherhood changed after reading what they did to Phury.

Perhaps I’m being a bit dramatic with this rant but it goes to show how good the previous novels were to me, and how invested in the Black Dagger world I was. I haven’t decided yet whether to continue reading the series.

The characters Phury and Cormia are both vampires who have always put the good of others before themselves. It just seemed like a weird time in Phury’s life to fall in love. I was more interested in the other characters in this book and skipped over the stupid wizard rambling, because it wasn’t necessary. The Scribe Virgin doesn’t seem to care about her Chosen daughters who live in the realm with her until a male (Phury) talks to her about it and that bothered me. I also thought it was funny that Phury still considers himself a virgin even though his privates were inside a prostitutes privates before he was with Cormia. When he told Cormia he was a virgin I was disappointed in his lie. This book and her last book Lover Unbound weren’t as strong in the romantic department as her other books in the series so far. The other characters and things happening in this book still made it a good read. I’ll continue reading more of the BDB books with hopes that the romantic steaminess will pick back up.

So we know Phury likes the red smoke a bit too much and at one point was almost going to move up to Heroine, but John Matthew knocking on his door right at that second changed his mind and he flushed it and spent time with John and Zsadist in the training room instead.

Now that Phury has agreed to be the Primale, I was hoping he would step up, but he starts talking more and more to this voice in his head that he calls The Wizard. The Wizaard likes to remind him of all of his failures and why he shouldnt do anything but sit around and get high, because he is no good for anything or anyone. This is a recurring theme throughout the book.

Though he does fall in love with the Chosen First Mate Cormia, and she him. There are obstacles in the way of them being together. Especially the fact that he is supposed to be with 39 of her sisters.

John’s storyline is also forwarded in this book. Huge changes occur for John and his two friends and they are now in the war with the Lessers, not just trainees. Lash finds out who he really is and becomes more evil than ever. Also a suprising friend brings Tohr back and John has a reunion with his one time father.

I really liked the book, I just thought Phurys depressing storyline dragged on too long and I wanted happy times for him to finally come on. I mean him and Z have both suffered enough already.

I am addicted to this series like it’s a red smoke blunt. I usually don’t read romance novels because I’m stuck up and think they are low brow but I have been fighting insomnia and been stressed out so I needed an escape. Well, 5 books later and I can’t break free! I’m putting the series aside for now though because I need to get back to real life and can’t keep escaping into Ward’s world. The covers are embarrassing and the writing is awesomely cringe worthy at times but it fits the subject matter. Ward is an efficient and stylish writer for her genre. It is at times dated (razr fone!).

A lot of people didn’t like this book but I did. I thought going into P’s addiction was interesting as well as Ward’s vision of the other side. She did the self sabotage, the fake facade and lies very well. I’m worried, however, about the future of the series because a number of new species were introduced and I find it really hard to believe that this evil parallel world is so intense but the humans just don’t know about it. Mhis that strong? Also it is annoying that these hunks who’ve been around for hundreds of years have never found a mate and then they all suddenly do…perhaps you could argue that when the King ascended to leadership, he triggered this resurgence of faith in the species, but that’s is my interpretation of why all these warriors are now finding mates in every hallway and hospital.

I was so looking forward to Phury’s story but I’m sorry to say it’s a total bore! The only thing that kept me reading was what was happening with JM, Blay and Quinn. There’s some interesting story development with Rehvenge, who is always wonderful. Every time I turned a page and was back to Phury and Cormia’s will they/won’t they my heart sank. By the end I didn’t care whether they got together – of course they do, yawn. A huge disappointment. Phury’s story could have been wonderful. This felt like his story was merely filler to what else is going on in the book. I won’t even bother going on about The Wizard. Yawn. Guff.

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member