Review: Lover Unleashed

English Cover

German Cover Part 2

German Cover Part 1

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‚Lover Unleashed‚
by J. R. Ward

Black Dagger Brotherhood # 9/
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First Sentence:
„Xcor saw his father killed when he was but five years past his transition.“

Last Sentence:
„That was how lucky they all were.“

Synopsis:
Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, warrior cloth as her brother: A fighter by nature, and a maverick when it comes to the traditional role of Chosen females, there is no place for her on the Far Side… and no role for her on the front lines of the war, either.
When she suffers a paralyzing injury, human surgeon Dr. Manuel Manello is called in to treat her as only he can- and he soon gets sucked into her dangerous, secret world. Although he never before believed in things that go bump in the night- like vampires- he finds himself more than willing to be seduced by the powerful female who marks both his body and his soul.
As the two find so much more than an erotic connection, the human and vampire worlds collide … just as a centuries old score catches up with Payne and puts both her love and her life in deadly jeopardy….
(Source: goodreads.com)

My thoughts about the book:
I’ve been really looking forward to read this book and finally to dive into the world of the brothers again. Particularly because I found Payne from the 1-2 books before very interesting, in which she has already briefly showed up. And also her relationship and the circumstances which have led her on this side were well prepared and let me hope for much. Unfortunately this book in the Black Dagger series couldn’t fulfill my expectations and it’s, after the previous 4 great books, only average.

I really wanted to love this book because I’m a huge fan of the brothers, as well as of J. R. Ward, but I must be honest to myself and I’ve to admit to myself that it hasn’t completely worked for me, like the rest of the Black Dagger books. There were some things in it which have disturbed me, as for example the fact that Ward has put the relationship of Vishous and Jane in the foreground. What wouldn’t have disturbed me much, if she wouldn’t have presented my favorite character Vishous again as a coldblooded, mean emotion cripple. First because we already had this in the 5th book (Lover Unbound) and secondly because it didn’t fit and seemed fake, and he just isn’t like that.
Another point was that here I’ve missed the fights against the lessening society, the breath-taking tension plot with its many storylines and with all of this the book have lost a little of its action and awesome thrill.

For me this book seemed, like it was a first book in a new series in which new character were introduced and new connections were built up in the plot. Hence, I’m quite sure that by now Ward plans, for every single character from this barbarian troop from the old country with Xcor and Throe, to spin her series further and to write also own books for each of them. But we will see …
Furthermore in this book I couldn’t get a good connection with the main characters Payne or Manny. What disturbs me because I really wanted to like, to love Payne, but she wasn’t present enough. For my taste she hasn’t given enough from herself, if it’s now from her thoughts or her feelings… unfortunately, she left little impression on me and has left my quite cold and uninterested while reading her story.

What has disturbed me the most was that this here was the first book since book 2, in which there was nothing about John Matthew! Nothing – not at all, maybe just 2 sentences and that was way not enough! John Matthew was since Lover Eternal (book #2) a fixe constant in these books and there was always a part about him which I really liked and found first-class and diverse and touching. Especially because of his connection with Thor or his friendship with Qhuinn and Blay or his own relation with Zsadist because by their past.
This all was away and I’ve really missed it very much and I fear that this ‘trend’ will also remain in the next books.

Moreover, there was also no mention if Thor, not even with a syllable and this very uncharacteristic, if you consider that the next book is his story and that he’s playing the ‘leading role’ in it. Up to now Ward has already given priority to the characters which are the main ones in the next book to already show their secret sides with which they have to struggle, but also here – nothing.
So we all have to wait till Lover Reborn to see how this whole story will go on, because I can’t get rid of the feeling that somehow a new era holds place in the books, like I already had in the book # 4-5, in which the young vampires have won priority (John Matthew, Qhuinn, Blay).

Even if I have listed almost only negative points, I still have liked the book and even better than many others. It was like always a quick and fast reading and has led me in another great world. And only because I would have liked some things differently in it, I wouldn’t say that it was generally bad. For me it’s an average book with which I can live with, however, thought not a book which I’ll read again so often, like the other books in this otherwise amazing series.

English Cover:
I like the cover very much, particularly because finally, once a female vampire bites somebody. 🙂

All in all:
A good attempt in which, unfortunately the otherwise always contained magic was missing.

Rating:
3,5 of 5 points

Quotes:

Manny: „You are perfect for a female.“
Payne: „Not where I come from.“
Manny: „Then they’re using the wrong standard.

Vishous: „I came to you, Jane. Every night this week, I came to you. I didn’t want you to be alone. And I didn’t want to sleep without you.“

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Succession:

# 1: J. R. Ward – Dark Lover »»
# 2: J. R. Ward – Lover Eternal »»
# 3: J. R. Ward – Lover Awakened »»
# 4: J. R. Ward – Lover Revealed »»
# 5: J. R. Ward – Lover Unbound »»
# 6: J. R. Ward – Lover Enshrined »»
# 6.5: J.R.Ward – BDB: An Insider’s Guide »»
# 7: J. R. Ward – Lover Avagened »»
# 8: J. R. Ward – Lover Mine »»
# 9: J. R. Ward – Lover Unleashed »»
# 10: J. R. Ward – Lover Reborn »»
# 11: J.R. Ward – Lover at Last »»
# 12 J. R. Ward – The King

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copyright: http://www.jrward.com/

About the author – J. R. Ward:
J.R. Ward is a #1 New York Times and USAToday Best Selling author of erotic paranormal romance. She lives in the south with her incredibly supportive husband and her beloved golden retriever. After graduating from law school, she began working in healthcare in Boston and spent many years as Chief of Staff of one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation. Writing has always been her passion and her idea of heaven is a whole day of nothing but her computer, her dog and her coffee pot. (Source: http://www.jrward.com/)

Visit her Website »»

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