Thursday, December 19, 2013

Laura’s Review of Lover Reborn (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #10) by J.R. Ward



Basic Summary:  Ever since the death of his shellan, Tohrment has been a heartbroken shadow of the vampire leader he was once was.  Brought back to the Brotherhood by a self-serving fallen angel, he fights again with ruthless vengeance, unprepared for a new tragedy.  Seeing his beloved in his dreams—trapped in a cold, isolated netherwold—Tohr turns to the angel Lassiter to save his former mate.  The only way to rescue her is for Tohr to love another.  As war with the lesser rages, and a hew clan of vampires vie for the Blind Kings throne.  Tohr struggles between an unforgettable past and a hot, passion-filled future.  But can his heart let go and sell all of them free?


What I Love About This Book:  I was so happy to get to Tohrment’s story!!! I just loved him so much in the beginning of this series and I couldn't wait for him to have a happily ever after story.   When Wellsie was killed I was so upset I felt like I lost her too, and after John Matthew had found the love of his life, I just wanted Tohrment to find some happiness as well. 

            I loved that this book got back to the core characters of the brotherhood; I didn't realize
how much I missed having their personalities added into the mix of the plot until they were back in this one.  There were so many touching moments between the brothers in this book and there were a couple times I started to tear up because of it.  Especially in a couple scenes that involved Wrath and Tohrment, it was so great to see these two together and be reminded how far back these characters go and how much they all mean to each other.  Also I love the banter between the brothers because they actually joke around like siblings and no matter how serious the situation their dialogue with one another has me cracking up.  LOVE IT! 

            At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like No’One, when she first comes on the scene her face is much hidden and she blends easily into the background.  It was hard to get a sense of what she looked like or what her personality was like.  Yet as the story progressed I really became attached to her and as she became Autumn and developed a relationship with Tohrment I got to see the real her.  I think she is a great leading female character, and I love the fact that this story wasn't just her love story it was her life story.  She was able to mend fences with her daughter and eventually come to terms with her past decisions and actions.  I love that Lassiter was in this story more as well because he cracks me up I laugh every time he talks, and I love that the was  Autumn and Tohrment’s hero at the end of all this.  I like that he wasn't here to just pester Tohrment but to push Autumn along when she needed a little push in the right direction.

            I love that once again we did not any POV of lessers, sometimes I feel like their POV provides lulls in the story and because I hate them so much I don’t want to know what’s going in their minds.  But at the same time it provides a full circle story that only makes the plot that much better.  But I love that this is the third book in the series and second in a row, where their POV is not included in the book. 

            I really really love that I don’t know how to feel about Xcor, I love when a character makes me hate them, then love them and I am really on the in between with this one.  He’s a total asshole and very rough around the edges, but there is something very honorable about him as well.  When he makes a grave mistake in this book, he suffers very much from it and you once again go from hating him to almost pity him.  I feel bad that he is considered very ugly because of his cleft pallet, and that normal people have such a hard time with looking at him because to me it kind of adds to his heart break.  There are so many times especially in this book that I wanted him dead, but at the same time I wanted him to give up the fight and join the Brotherhood because he deserves some sort of peace.  I hate how he is trying to overthrow Wrath, and because of that I want him to unto the Fade, but at the same time when he meets Layla I want to see how that all plays out because I kind of want them together!!



Cons:  I don’t really have a lot of cons in this book.  I think like all the other books in this series the core relationship is a little slow going so you have to be a patient person if you’re looking for instant gratification.   This series is in the erotica genre, and it definitely has a right to be there, but the story doesn't  jump right into sex and a lot of the books it doesn't happen until you are more than half way through so you have to be prepared to wait.  Sometimes I wish that it was sooner, or there was more sex scenes between the characters, but I don’t really have that complaint in this book, but it is something you have to be patient about.

            I guess I just wish there was more of the past characters in these stories, we gotten more of Wrath and Beth, and Vishous and Butch.  But yet again I haven’t seen or heard anything from Mary or Bella in so long.  There was a great scene that involved Marissa so you got her POV for a couple minutes, but that was it.  I miss Rhage and Mary together and I would like to see a plot that has their relationship back in the mix, the same for Zsadist and Bella or even Phury and Cormia.




Overall: I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! I could not put it down, and when I was out and couldn't read I was constantly thinking about it.  Tohrment and Autumn’s story was very compelling and a total page turner.  I couldn't get enough of these two!! I was so frustrated with John Matthew and Xhex which pissed me off but their story line is designed to frustrate the reader because they were frustrated themselves, but I just want these two to work it out and find a happy medium.  There were times in this book that I was tearing up and then laughing two minutes later, or I was laughing then tearing up in the same scene.  I love that this book brought us back to the core of the brotherhood, and kind of reinforced their message and brother’s duty and what they are all about.  There were tons of twists and turns in this book, and another mysterious character was introduced that I have a feeling I definitely haven’t see the last of.  The ending definitely threw me for a loop, and my heart broke one minute then jumped for joy a minute later.  There were a couple times while I was reading I was holding my breath or my jaw was on the ground and I just NEEDED to find out what was going to happen next.   I didn't think I was going to be so emotional when Wellsie finally got her proper good bye, but it was like I was mourning her loss along with all these characters at the end.  It was great to see the grief in some sort of way come to end, and people move on but I definitely didn't realize how much I missed Wellsie until she became front and center again.  This book was so great not just if you read the series but if you've lost someone close its easy to relate to Tohrment’s struggles and fears throughout this entire story.  


Side Note:  I get why people don’t like Tohrment’s relationship with Autumn, because we all became so attached to Wellsie and it was devastating when she died.  But this story is called Lover Reborn for a reason, and it was time for Tohrment to move on.  I never once felt like Autumn was replacing Wellsie in any way.  Her role in Torhment’s life is just the next chapter, not meant to erase anything especially the significance of what Wellsie was to Tohrment.  At the end of the book I think you get the proper closure in Torhment’s journey with Wellsie and it was what was needed to everyone to move on including the readers.  I have to think that if you love someone so much, you would just want them to be happy and live and that is what is going on here. Wellsie wouldn't want Tohr to suffer, and this story shows just how precious life is and you that every day you need to live in the present not the past.  I don’t feel like he betrayed Wellsie in any shape or form, at the end she gives her approval and that should be enough for people to cool their haterade! 

No comments:

Post a Comment