Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 6)

Location: Home » vampire: masquerade » General » Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 6)

Similar Items:

•	Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5)
•	Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 4)
•	Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 3)
•	Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 2)
•	Dark Lover: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood (The Black Dagger Brotherhood)

Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
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 Brotherhoods mansion, Phury must decide between duty and love

Customer Reviews: Read 327 more reviews...

1 out of 5 stars

Denial Aint' Just a River in Egypt and This Isn't a Romance. June 3, 2008
226 out of 294 found this review helpful

this is my last JR Ward book---
To be bought new,
With joy,
And with great anticipation.

If there is a word for disappointment squared, I'd like to know what it is. Until then, just use your imagination.

What made JR so special was that she could write people---relationships, loyalties and yes, ROMANCE....

The stories, characters, plots etc I didn't like and skimmed in the first 5 books are now the focus of this book and upcoming books.
And to my greater sorrow, the stuff I adored is now missing and not coming back (so we are told).

What we have is Urban Fantasy (Which I don't read and I resent being tricked into reading).
Romance is what JR did best and what made her special, amazing and a gift to readers.
Urban Fantasy is not her strength....she reads like all the other vamp writers now. Like if you've read one, you've read them all (and I have read them all!)

So yeah, I cried, but not for the right reasons.
I cried over 8 bucks lost, 5 hours wasted, 3 months of hopes for something better mocked.

In LE, she's now just doing something mundane, ordinary and overdone---
Vampires at war as the story and
OH! Here are a few pages of romance to keep the book on those shelves in the bookstore. Why?

No joke, less than 1/5th of the book even has Phury or Cormia's names on the pages. It's pathetic. There should be a law, like if a book has less than a certain percent devoted to the couple, it can't call itself a romance.

They do it with fruit juice!

That is the root of my heartbreak (not the juice, the denial).

What set JR apart was the quality of the story, the emotions and interactions of the lead couple--- the lessers, Scribe Virgin, the Omega etc could have been by any writer anywhere. I mean, Vamps at War is what ALL ALL ALL these books are about.

I won't lie--
Ward's first three were brilliant from a romance standpoint
(nothing new from the evil beings standpoint, but it didn't matter ).
I didn't mind LR or LU, though I simply thought they were a slump in her writing.

Now I know better--- LE is the 'new' and clearly devolved JR Ward--
Urban Fantasy Author Faking Romance.

OK, in LE...
What I liked?
Some of the sweeter scenes at the end (Though by then it was too little to late). By then my head hurt and I was so insulted I think I cracked a molar from grinding my teeth.

What I hated?
The absence of the brothers POV
The absence of most of the shellans and their POV.
The absence of the basic loyalty, the brotherhood, camaraderie etc that made the books great.
The acting out-of-character by beloved characters and far too much page time devoted to characters that are just not remotely likeable. The imbalance is surreal and disquieting.

What annoyed me?
Too much devotion to secondary plots, sub-plots, side-plots, new plots, more plots, OhIforgottoaddthis Plot!
PLUS, introducing new characters,
PLUS the exposition and expansion it seems on every character who has ever breathed in a BDB book.
PLUS adding new everything from information to Wow, we have a wizard?!?!

IOW, way way way way too much stuff and far far far too little about the couple on the cover.

What I missed?
The romance. It reads like one day before handing in the final draft she thought--- "Oh crap! I FORGOT! They've got Phury and Cormia's picture on the cover, I promised all my fans a romance--- CRIKEY!!"

Yes folks, it is that bad: 500 pages of UF and a romance that reads like a 110 page Harlequin stuck on top.

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, and JR Ward is now writing urban fantasy (pay no attention to the man behind the curtain). If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it's a duck. Yet, we are repeatedly told that no! She is a romance writer (see my law of percentages) Yet the last few books have had "novel" on the cover.

Seems someone knows the truth--- and it appears the author is the last one to know.

Oddly, it's very very clear that JRWard is either being dishonest with her fans and no longer wishes to write romance, but can't bring herself to fess up

OR, Even stranger,
JR is being dishonest with herself about still being a romance author..
Which is worse, I don't know.

Anyhow, when the truth comes out, call me (I'll be over in the paranormal romance section reading well, paranormal romance).

Oh, and why one star? Dishonesty in advertizing.

3 out of 5 stars

A 4 star book with a 2 star romance June 4, 2008
148 out of 165 found this review helpful

*No spoilers*

I started out reading Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series because I enjoy the Paranormal Romance genre. The love stories in the prequels to LEn are excellent (with the exception of Lover Unbound) IMHO. But it looks like this series has come to a fork in the road. Choosing the Urban Fantasy route verses the Paranormal Romance one. I don't mind the change in genre so much (as Ward is a captivating writer) but others might and may feel duped. So you've been warned.

I didn't particularly care for the romance in this book. A quick recap: Phury is the Primale. Essentially the Brother chosen to breed more Brothers. He is the sire of a 'harem' of forty Chosen females. Phury is supposed to mate with them and produce many children, the males of which will hopefully become the warriors (Brothers) who defend the vampire race from the evil lessers. Phury's first mate is Cormia. Their romance is tepid at best. I did not *see* them fall in love at all. More like I got the vibe that Cormia is merely a soothing and gentle influence on Phury's tumultuous life. She came across as a helpful friend rather than mate potential. Not the I-would-die-without-your-love feeling I got in the previous books. Since those books were so smack down emotional, I hoped this one would be too. I just didn't feel it.

But, BUT, and this is a big one. The rest of the book rocks! As I recall the lessers were sadly missing in LU. They are back in a BIG way here in LEn, specifically with the Omega making multiple appearances. John, Qhuinn and Blaylock also all have prominent roles in this book. Their stories make major advancements as well. With tons of surprises. And Rhevenge's and Xhex's characters are spot lighted too. There are also some very interesting twists (including new characters) to the series which leads me to believe that Ward is going in the Urban fantasy direction.

So although I think the romance is lack luster, the rest of the book is keeper material. I don't mind that LEn read more like three stories in one rather than a central romance with two subplots. Fans of Paranormal **Romance** will be VERY disappointed. But I still recommend reading LEn just for the advancement of other character's plots. Skip this one if your in it for the romance or wait to get the book at the library if your skeptical.

And for anyone new to the series? Don't start here! You'll miss out on a lot of the back story. These books are NOT meant to be read stand alone. Besides the previous books have some awesome romance.

1 out of 5 stars

Nothing Heroic Here June 12, 2008
81 out of 104 found this review helpful

First off, I don't write this review lightly. And after the brutal light that has been shined down in recent months on reviews in general I hesitated to offer my opinion. However, as a long time fan of Ms Ward, I was shocked, and frustrated by the turn this book has taken in a series that was fresh and entertaining. I'm not going to go into plot, as this has been done over and over...but I do want to add my two cents worth. My biggest complaint for this entire book is this...It read as if Ms. Ward forgot who her characters were.

I fell in love with Phury...books ago, this was the Brother I couldn't wait to read. He had it all, imperfections in body but a mind that was...well, in the end it doesn't really matter as this book proved Phury is no hero and the letdown and disappoinment of this is more then I can stomach. Even previous "hero's" were different...and not in a good way. As I stated in a comment on EZ Burns, this 500pg+ book reads like a huge prologue for upcoming titles. Titles I can't be bothered to purchase...which is sad because this was unlike anything I'd read previously.

Readers that started this series with book one are expecting a romance as this was originally marketed as a paranormal romance...those wanting to read a romantic story...or a story with a strong romantic thread will want to stay clear of this one. Sorry, I calls them like a see them. This is a urban fantasy with weak romantic elements. Very weak. In fact, I'll go on record saying in my opinion there wasn't any romance here...I don't count rape romantic...If you come to the book understanding this...you'll do fine...oh and have patience with oodls of pop-culture references...then you'll do fine.

1 out of 5 stars

Disappointed with Author's Genre change midway thru Series June 4, 2008
54 out of 60 found this review helpful

I am disppointed that JRW has chosen to attempt to be a mainstream author midway thru this series. I have found that many authors tend to decide they want to write "more important" books than romance after they have built up a solid fan base. It's sad and disappointing and a little insulting, but that's how it goes.

However, I've never seen an author change styles/genres in a series. Especially when that series has fans as passionate as the BDB fans were for the first 3 books. My guess is someone along the way said "You're such a great writer and look at the legions of fans you've garnered. Imagine how many MORE fans you'll pick up if you write for the mainstream crowd. This series is so hot, nobody will complain."

Unfortunately, lots of fans noticed and some have become non-fans. As a reader, it's upsetting to invest so much time and money into an author, only to be dumped for a "better" audience. This is just my opinion of what's going on. I could be wrong.

On another note regarding BDB, (for J Shepherd's review)in response to your first comment:

"...WHO CARES what genre it's in! It's a compelling, multi-faceted story that has such believable characters that I look forward to going on the ride no matter where the final destination is."

Good for you, but most people want to get what they paid for. And if the product is labeled "Romance", it should not be sci-fi, urban, mainstream, etc. It should be "ROMANCE" with maybe a little of the others thrown in for story purposes. If you recommended this book to me and I knew going in that it was not MAINLY a romance, but another genre, then it would be my decision whether to spend my money and my time on a genre I don't usually care for. I may love the book after all or I may not be into the same things you are, but at least I was able to make an informed decision BEFORE purchasing. When books are mislabeled, no matter how good they are, they are taking the choice away from the reader of how to spend their money.

As for your last comment:

"...I will continue to recommend this incredibly well written series to my romance loving friends as well as my friends with a taste for something a little more sophisticated and less predictable then your typical romance novel."

As a Romance reader, I find this comment incredibly offensive. Your comment suggests that Romance readers are not as "sophisticated" or exciting as Mainstream readers. Note how you separate your "Romance loving friends" from your "friends with a taste for something a little more sophisticated and less predictable then your typical romance novel."

One genre is no better than another. It's a matter of preference. And it's MY choice what I choose to BUY, so I expect the "labels" to be accurate.

3 out of 5 stars

At Least I Can Use it as a Paperweight June 5, 2008
53 out of 66 found this review helpful

Honestly, for the first half I was loving this book. The characterization was sharp and distinctive. Ward seems to have finally learned how to give her subplots some forward momentum rather than just repeating the same scene over and over again. But then I came to the second half and I wanted to stab it with scissors. Gosh, what a mess. Basically, nothing came out of most of the plot lines and the only subplot that reached a decent resolution just kept going and going like the Energizer Bunny's zombie after it should have died.

These are the plots:
The Main Plot: Coked-up, messed up Brother Phury has been roped into the Scribe Virgin's eugenics program. The goddess wants him to impregnate her forty temple prostitutes to have children to preserve the vampires' pure blood line, apparently having two-headed incest offspring in future generations being preferable to having babies without the proper aristocratic pedigrees. Phury has to make it first with Cormia before he moves on to the others. He likes her, but he's afraid he's not good enough to get close to her. Cormia like him but is afraid she is too reserved to get close to him.

Subplots: Local drug dealer Rhevenge is being blackmailed by some sadistic wench called The Princess.

John Matthews and his buddies Qhuinn and Blay land in a pickle when a locker room brawl turns deadly.

The Lessers are back to torture us with their incompetent buffoonery. They pop up like every twenty pages in the second half. The Omega has a new improbable plan that completely defies logic. I'm still very curious as to how Omega and his bumbling goon squad managed to put the vampire race on the decline when they are about as effective as the villains in a GI Joe cartoon.

Of these, guess which is the only one which comes to a satisfactory conclusion? Hint: it's not the main plot.

Really, I loved the first half of this book, but as the pages flew by, more and more, I had moments that made me grind my teeth together. Not resolving the plots is a big reason for this. This book is over 500 pages long. There is no reason that Ward should be able to devote several chapters to a couple of lessers getting arrested, going to jail, and having a bail hearing when that has nothing to do with nothing, and then having to cram the unconvincing, improbable resolution of the main plot into the last fifty pages. We all knew that Phury would have to sober up. Really really late in the book (at a point when you would believe he would have long checked into rehab by), he almost O.D.'s on heroin and not forty pages later he has successfully gone through detox. All in the space of about a day.

The problem also stems from the fact that Ward draws vivid portraits of both characters in the first half, but she never develops them as a couple. I'm still curious as to how a sheltered woman like Cormia is going to deal with having a former junkie has a husband. I'm not even sure she's emotionally capable of it. Their scenes together are all too brief and infrequent throughout the story.

The John Matthews subplot was interesting until it was run into the ground. It reaches a resolution fairly early but it keep going and going until John and his buddies almost overwhelm the novel.

Other stuff that is wonky:

Did you think the inclusion of ghosts was out there? Well now angels have descended in Caldwell. And it's about as well explained as the ghost thing.

More retconning. Apparently, Phury's detour into pot-smoking, suicidal misery is not new like we were led to believe. He's been like this all along but no one noticed.

The series has become completely humorless. That's a shame because I loved the camp of the first book. That book was almost like it wanted to be like Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunters but with more rap music and hilariously cheesy names, and seemed to embrace all the cheese and corn of the general silliness of the premise. There is not even an amusing aside like the potato gun from the previous novels to give the book any levity.

I really loved the first half and really really hated the second. When I first started reading, I thought this would be Ward's best. Talk about snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory. I guess two extremes even out to a neutral 3-stars.

Powered by Associate-O-Matic

T-shirts, Posters

Pentagram T-shirts, bags, etc...

Gothic Posters