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shellballenger's review against another edition
Type of read: Commuter Read.
What made me pick it up: I stumbled across the Black Dagger Brotherhood in early 2024 with Darius (Book 0) and I got sucked into this crazy, cracked-out, sexy, throwback-feeling, world of vampires fighting something more evil than themselves.
Overall rating: Vishous...oh you dark, broken, beautiful man. I feel like 'Lover Unbound' was one of the first in the series where Ward played with a new storyline dynamic. We had flashbacks, multiple character POVs, and more of a focus on the community (and ultimately the world that Ward has created) as a whole, rather than just one of the brothers. There are definitely some jaw-dropping moments - I, for one, was not expecting the big twist - and times when you are truly sucked into the book and what's happening with these characters. As I mentioned, 'Lover Unbound' continues to build the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood and the many characters within. We get more info on John and ultimately get to see him through his transition and learning more about his father, Darius , Fury, and Zsadist. We also get a bit more of a look into the ritual and pomp of the Scribe Virgin and that portion of the brother's world. I also loved that Jane was not the traditional FMC. She's got a little extra spunk to her and that's refreshing, although some of her character arc was extremely predictable. And I feel it's necessary to say, I appreciate that Ward didn't truly make Manny out to be a bad guy. It was refreshing to see a male character outside of the Brotherhood not get the creeper/bad guy rap.
I know I've said it before in previous reviews for this series, but I feel like I just have to say it again, this is just a good escape read. You don't have to think too much about it, you don't have to try and keep things straight (Ward does a great job dropping little reminders at the beginning of each book and throughout so you keep the characters and their traits straight), and you can just dive into a (slightly dated) world of sexy vampire warriors. I'm here for it.
Reader's Note: 'Lover Unbound' includes themes of death; dying; consensual sexual activity; consensual BDSM sexual activity with sub/dom relationships; violence; kidnapping; torture; murder; sexual assault; and character recollections of physical and sexual abuse. There's also a lot of LGBTQIA+ conversation within 'Lover Unbound, especially as it navigates the relationship between Butch and Vishous, Vishous's past sexual history and partners, and how everything continues to work and grow within their relationship with each other and with their mates . I'm not going to say that it's homophobic, rather, it's quite understanding and loving; however, I think it's the way the Brotherhood talks and just the wording Ward chooses that make it feel juuuuuuuuust a tish on the uncomfy side (which, realistically, might have been the goal).
What made me pick it up: I stumbled across the Black Dagger Brotherhood in early 2024 with Darius (Book 0) and I got sucked into this crazy, cracked-out, sexy, throwback-feeling, world of vampires fighting something more evil than themselves.
Overall rating: Vishous...oh you dark, broken, beautiful man. I feel like 'Lover Unbound' was one of the first in the series where Ward played with a new storyline dynamic. We had flashbacks, multiple character POVs, and more of a focus on the community (and ultimately the world that Ward has created) as a whole, rather than just one of the brothers. There are definitely some jaw-dropping moments - I, for one, was not expecting the big twist - and times when you are truly sucked into the book and what's happening with these characters. As I mentioned, 'Lover Unbound' continues to build the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood and the many characters within. We get more info on John
I know I've said it before in previous reviews for this series, but I feel like I just have to say it again, this is just a good escape read. You don't have to think too much about it, you don't have to try and keep things straight (Ward does a great job dropping little reminders at the beginning of each book and throughout so you keep the characters and their traits straight), and you can just dive into a (slightly dated) world of sexy vampire warriors. I'm here for it.
Reader's Note: 'Lover Unbound' includes themes of death; dying; consensual sexual activity; consensual BDSM sexual activity with sub/dom relationships; violence; kidnapping; torture; murder; sexual assault; and character recollections of physical and sexual abuse. There's also a lot of LGBTQIA+ conversation within 'Lover Unbound,
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
allingoodtime's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but the parts in this series that deal with the Omega and the forelessers are not my thing. I don’t mind them as the foil for the Brotherhood and the vampire race, but when the narrative is from their POV I could care less and find myself skimming. Well hallelujah! This book has none of that. There are some tussles with the forelessers that are extremely important, but they never take over the story. Although there is a reason for this, I’m hoping the stories will continue this way even once the forelessers regroup.
We all know there was something more going on between Vishous (aka V) and Butch than friendship. At least on one side. This is dealt with a little more in this story than it had been previously, and the characters actually express the words. There is still some homophobic language when dealing with them, but it’s heading in the right direction when it comes to how we look at and talk about relationships that aren’t cishet. Yay!
I’ve gotta give it to the author, more than once she has found a way to incorporate a human into the world of the vampires without it feeling forced or out of the scope of the world that’s already been built. There is a LOT that happens with V in this book. Not only does the reader get his background throughout this book, but V himself learns things about his past he never knew. It throws him for a loop and kicks off a series of events that kept me turning the pages.
As for V’s mate, talk about a strong FMC. I love Jane and her kind heart and strong will. The peeks into her upbringing were riveting. I wish we would have gotten a bit more of that to understand her parents. But at the very least it helped to understand her and her motivations.
With as much oppression as there was in this story, with characters being forced into scenarios they neither asked for nor wanted, there were a lot of parts that made me laugh. I just love when an alpha falls hard and doesn’t understand what is happening. It was especially funny to me since V had fallen in love with Butch but was now presented with this other person that brought out his possessive side. Jane and V are amazing together and end up exactly what the other needs. V has never given up control when it comes to his sex life and he finds the freedom to do so with Jane while she finds the freedom of letting him take the lead, too.
This is also a big book for John in many ways. He’s moving right along and I adore the way Z looks out for him both physically and emotionally. John has a lot from his past to work on and while I’m chomping at the bit for his full story to be told, I know he still has a long way to go. I’m trying not to spoil things for myself by looking ahead to see which book will be his. I need to let myself watch the story unfold as the author intended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping
Minor: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
pvbobrien's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
kaadee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Ok, there’s a lot I have to say.
I hate and love the world building a lot. I mean, I’m a fan of Dune which I would consider one of the most in-depth, well done world building series ever written. So reading this, I can’t help but make critiques. There’s plot holes, a ton of them, but I’ve heard that more of the books closes them up. After 5 books, I still feel like I’ve read nothing. Over these 5 books it has literally spanned a year. Not even. I feel like over 5 books we should have some explanation of something, right? And when they do give us world building scenes, they’re poorly written and aren’t very detailed.
I’m gonna be honest though, I love the Scribe Virgin. I know some people absolutely despise her but I honestly see myself in her a lot. One of my favorite quotes from the book is “She was as she had always been:alone in the midst of the world she’d created”. God, I love that line. It adds a ton of depth to her character, especially over the course of the book with the sacrifice of the song birds. She’s well written, I just think everything else is shit. We barely get anything from the Omega, which is ok because the forelesser was killed last book. Ok. Understandable. Not a huge fan but I can get over it, besides I don’t like reading the lesser POV all that much.
Now the romance. Jane, a smart doctor or whatever is a typical woman. I mean, sure she’s smart and definitely a smart ass, but she has no substance. Mary is my favorite girl so far and I feel like Jane is just Mary in a different font. She has no motivation except for her dead sister and now V. Ugh. Give me something!!!! I hate that the author (A WOMAN) can’t even write a good character who is in fact the same gender as she is!! Like hello!!! You have tons of experience!
There are things I liked about Jane but they mostly have to do with V. I like that she’s open minded. That’s about it. I thought her ending was very weird, I mean, a ghost? Really? Was that the best we could do? Ok sure, I can look over it but at this point I have a whole list of things I’m trying not to think about anymore. I cant even write more about her because she has nothing to offer. I must admit though, the beginning with the ouija board was perfectly written. It was so good, I just wish they had gone a little more in depth with her figuring out his name. Anyway, that’s it for her.
V. An abused smart asshole who is in love with his best friend until Jane shows up. I love V and Butch’s friendship, they would have been cute together. Give us at least one lgbtq+ character PLEASE. And she did. And they didn’t even get together. Nope. V ends up with bland ass Jane. It’s fine.
Anyway. V is kinky as shit. Good for him. I mean, he was all weirded out by himself saying how was a pervert but come on the kink wasn’t even that bad. Bland. Also; he was a terrible dom. He never gave aftercare, or breaks, or even cared at all. I know it ties into his past blah blah blah and Jane is the first to get care from him bUT IT WAS STUPID. GOD I JUST WANT ONE GOOD BDSM SCENE THAT IS WELL WRITTEN AND CORRECT AND NOT SOME WEIRD UNCONSENSUAL/TERRIBLE DOM THING. ITS ALL I ASK FOR. IF YOURE NOT GONNA WRITE A GOOD WOMAN CHARACTER AT LEAST GIVE IS WELL WRITTEN SEX SCENES.
I also am not a huge fan of Phury. I know they’re setting him up for next book but he’s annoying me. I love John Matthew so goddamn much and his relationship with Z is perfect. I also love Blay and Qhuinn. Anyway. Yeah.
That’s all I have for right now considering it’s 2 in the morning and I haven’t slept.
I hate and love the world building a lot. I mean, I’m a fan of Dune which I would consider one of the most in-depth, well done world building series ever written. So reading this, I can’t help but make critiques. There’s plot holes, a ton of them, but I’ve heard that more of the books closes them up. After 5 books, I still feel like I’ve read nothing. Over these 5 books it has literally spanned a year. Not even. I feel like over 5 books we should have some explanation of something, right? And when they do give us world building scenes, they’re poorly written and aren’t very detailed.
I’m gonna be honest though, I love the Scribe Virgin. I know some people absolutely despise her but I honestly see myself in her a lot. One of my favorite quotes from the book is “She was as she had always been:alone in the midst of the world she’d created”. God, I love that line. It adds a ton of depth to her character, especially over the course of the book with the sacrifice of the song birds. She’s well written, I just think everything else is shit. We barely get anything from the Omega, which is ok because the forelesser was killed last book. Ok. Understandable. Not a huge fan but I can get over it, besides I don’t like reading the lesser POV all that much.
Now the romance. Jane, a smart doctor or whatever is a typical woman. I mean, sure she’s smart and definitely a smart ass, but she has no substance. Mary is my favorite girl so far and I feel like Jane is just Mary in a different font. She has no motivation except for her dead sister and now V. Ugh. Give me something!!!! I hate that the author (A WOMAN) can’t even write a good character who is in fact the same gender as she is!! Like hello!!! You have tons of experience!
There are things I liked about Jane but they mostly have to do with V. I like that she’s open minded. That’s about it. I thought her ending was very weird, I mean, a ghost? Really? Was that the best we could do? Ok sure, I can look over it but at this point I have a whole list of things I’m trying not to think about anymore. I cant even write more about her because she has nothing to offer. I must admit though, the beginning with the ouija board was perfectly written. It was so good, I just wish they had gone a little more in depth with her figuring out his name. Anyway, that’s it for her.
V. An abused smart asshole who is in love with his best friend until Jane shows up. I love V and Butch’s friendship, they would have been cute together. Give us at least one lgbtq+ character PLEASE. And she did. And they didn’t even get together. Nope. V ends up with bland ass Jane. It’s fine.
Anyway. V is kinky as shit. Good for him. I mean, he was all weirded out by himself saying how was a pervert but come on the kink wasn’t even that bad. Bland. Also; he was a terrible dom. He never gave aftercare, or breaks, or even cared at all. I know it ties into his past blah blah blah and Jane is the first to get care from him bUT IT WAS STUPID. GOD I JUST WANT ONE GOOD BDSM SCENE THAT IS WELL WRITTEN AND CORRECT AND NOT SOME WEIRD UNCONSENSUAL/TERRIBLE DOM THING. ITS ALL I ASK FOR. IF YOURE NOT GONNA WRITE A GOOD WOMAN CHARACTER AT LEAST GIVE IS WELL WRITTEN SEX SCENES.
I also am not a huge fan of Phury. I know they’re setting him up for next book but he’s annoying me. I love John Matthew so goddamn much and his relationship with Z is perfect. I also love Blay and Qhuinn. Anyway. Yeah.
That’s all I have for right now considering it’s 2 in the morning and I haven’t slept.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
psydneigh's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked this one a lot. I was interested in everyone’s POVs. Im super excited to continue.
I don’t get what it’s referring to when it said that Mary was coming back at the end of the prologue. I’m glad that John acknowledged that it’s shitty that everyone got their girl back except Tohr.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
the_disreputable_dog's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was okay. I found the premise of kidnapping to a romantic connection to be pretty shaky, and it didn't feel like they did much emotional bonding before they were a couple. I did enjoy the part of the story where V interacted with his mother, however. I'll also be interested to see what happens in nextbook because I like the way it was set up and it has been pretty interesting it feels that it's been set up over the course of a few books and I will be interested to see how it plays out.
I will say though, I was extremely unhappy with the way that the relationship between Butch and V was handled. I felt that it would have been a good match, and so as a reader it did feel somewhat like they were breaking up even though they never really got together. I did not like how Butch basically said 'no homo' when talking to V about it. I found it to be pretty ignorant, and I almost quit reading at that point. It's just such a backwards way to handle that issue. I remember being a kid at the time that would have been acceptable, and thinking then how bad it was, and it still is bad now, and people finally seem to understand that, but it's still a disappointment to see the equivalent to 'no homo' reflected in this book. I know that was the way that some men were handling homosexuality, but it didn't make it a good thing then, and it's still not a good thing. I had higher hopes for their pair than that.
I will say though, I was extremely unhappy with the way that the relationship between Butch and V was handled. I felt that it would have been a good match, and so as a reader it did feel somewhat like they were breaking up even though they never really got together. I did not like how Butch basically said 'no homo' when talking to V about it. I found it to be pretty ignorant, and I almost quit reading at that point. It's just such a backwards way to handle that issue. I remember being a kid at the time that would have been acceptable, and thinking then how bad it was, and it still is bad now, and people finally seem to understand that, but it's still a disappointment to see the equivalent to 'no homo' reflected in this book. I know that was the way that some men were handling homosexuality, but it didn't make it a good thing then, and it's still not a good thing. I had higher hopes for their pair than that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Medical content, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Grief
Minor: Biphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Medical content, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
liz_ross's review
adventurous
dark
funny
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
"Love was worth sacrificing for."
Dark romance book. I amalmost sure I am fine with that. Dangerous and sexy vampires who go out hunting not-so-dead dead humans who hunt them in return. Absolutely love it. Learning about the past of these vampires, finding out they do have a background and that their past is capable of breaking your heart. If it wasn't for the romance, it would be my heaven. Screw that, it is like a heaven for me.
So, you see, I was really excited for this book, because I absolutely love V (he is right behind Wrath and Hollywood, but just because no one can beat those two) and I desperately wanted to know more about him and his past, which was the most mysterious until this book. I was so, so excited.
And I did get my story about his past and damn, what an awful, heartbreaking past. My baby V didn't deserve that. And to learn he had such a terrible past and suffered so much and yet grew up to be such a nice, kind, attentive and patient person... I can't help admiring him for all that and my heart breaks even more because of all that. He is a truly good person and deserves the world. Ward did an excellent job creating him like this.
I love him so, so much and all I wanted was to love this book just as much. So my love for V could match the rate given to the book about him - 5 stars because I can't give a thousand. But everything else about this book was just not enough. V deserved love, perhaps more than any other member of the Brotherhood (I mean, they all deserve love and really need it, but V is just so sweet it hurt to see him alone), and all I wanted was to be able to root for him and his love interest to end up together, to be happy for him and love the relationship.
And Ward took that all away from me because of how she chose to start they relationship. Four, four books before this one and she never needed to kidnap the love interest for the relationship to start. But for some reason, she decided it had to be like that with V. WHY?! What is even the point?! I can accept the BDSM lifestyle; it is a lifestyle and as long as it is consensual people can do whatever they want and makes them happy. But I can not and will not accept a freaking relationship that starts with the woman being kidnapped.
But by all means, I would love to root for them and I know people will always try to find arguments to support their opinion if they disagree with me - which is completly fine, so feel free to tell me your opinion -, so let me just answer right away to two of the most likely arguments for anyone to think of.
1. Mary was also kidnapped. Yes, she was. After her and Rhage had already met and gone out on dates. Oh, and Mary was in danger when Hollywood kidnapped her. But Jane?! She and V had never talked, let alone go on dates and there was nothing dangerous on her life until V decided to kidnap her for absolutely no reason. If he wanted to meet her again, he could have just gone to the freaking hospital!
2. I am only complaining about how the relationship started, so why couldn't I get over that and enjoy its development? Short answer, because of how it started. Saying I didn't like Jane being kidnapped is not like saying I didn't like this one thing V said when they met on a date somewhere. They are two different things. I could have got over the second. I won't get over the first. Making someone stay in a house they had never been in, surrounded by strangers, stuck in a room with a man they had never met isn't like saying the wrong thing on a date; everything about that situation is wrong. Have you ever heard of Stockholm Syndrome? Can you tell me without doubts that Jane never feared for her life living in a house full of man armed with all kinds of weapons? Can you tell me that there's absolutely no way that Jane falling in love with V was the way she subconsciously found to preserve her life? Trust me, I tried to tell me that she never felt fear, that there was no way she fell in love to preserve her life. That's how badly I wanted to accept their relationship and feel happy for them. But no matter how hard I tried, the doubt always came back, because truth is, you can't be sure, because Jane was freaking kidnapped!
To make things worse, this book had definitely much less action than all the previous ones. It was focused on V and Jane' s romance and used by Ward to develop the vampiric world a bit more and to develop Phury - preparing us for the next book, which is about him - and a character that I was always curious about but that I always got so little about - the Scribe Virgin. And trust me, I loved that. I loved every single new piece of information, both about the world and the characters. But I couldn't stand the romance and it hurt so much because I do hate romance most of the time, but for V I would have made an exception if the relationship was something I could root for.
And a book where all I could enjoy was the information isn't really a book I could enjoy. All I wanted was some action, just like happened in all the previous books. Some action to balance the romance. But apparently the Lessening were on vacation, which means I got barely any glimpse of the "dangerous and sexy vampires who go out hunting not-so-dead dead humans who hunt them in return" and almost got bored to death.
I did love that ending, though. It is stunningly beautiful. And a new validation for what I already knew - V is the kindest Brother and deserves the world - and a quite pleasant surprise - I may not like V and Jane's relationship, but I like the characters very much and I couldn't think of a better ending for them that wouldn't be a repetition of Rhage and Mary's.
Before the conclusion, I just have a quick question that doesn't stop haunting me. Is V bi or is he straight and he was just confused?! At first I had no doubts that he was bi, but the way his feelings for Butch were explained left me really confused.
Overall, my heart aches for V and I hate Ward for destroying my chance of rooting for his relationship with Jane. But I don't hate her that much, because the world she created (and I got to know more about) is absolutely divine, her characters are perfectly created - a true masterpiece! - and she really left me wanting to read Phury's book to see what will happen!And hopefully the Lessening will return from their vacation!
Dark romance book. I am
So, you see, I was really excited for this book, because I absolutely love V (he is right behind Wrath and Hollywood, but just because no one can beat those two) and I desperately wanted to know more about him and his past, which was the most mysterious until this book. I was so, so excited.
And I did get my story about his past and damn, what an awful, heartbreaking past. My baby V didn't deserve that. And to learn he had such a terrible past and suffered so much and yet grew up to be such a nice, kind, attentive and patient person... I can't help admiring him for all that and my heart breaks even more because of all that. He is a truly good person and deserves the world. Ward did an excellent job creating him like this.
I love him so, so much and all I wanted was to love this book just as much. So my love for V could match the rate given to the book about him - 5 stars because I can't give a thousand. But everything else about this book was just not enough. V deserved love, perhaps more than any other member of the Brotherhood (I mean, they all deserve love and really need it, but V is just so sweet it hurt to see him alone), and all I wanted was to be able to root for him and his love interest to end up together, to be happy for him and love the relationship.
And Ward took that all away from me because of how she chose to start they relationship. Four, four books before this one and she never needed to kidnap the love interest for the relationship to start. But for some reason, she decided it had to be like that with V. WHY?! What is even the point?! I can accept the BDSM lifestyle; it is a lifestyle and as long as it is consensual people can do whatever they want and makes them happy. But I can not and will not accept a freaking relationship that starts with the woman being kidnapped.
But by all means, I would love to root for them and I know people will always try to find arguments to support their opinion if they disagree with me - which is completly fine, so feel free to tell me your opinion -, so let me just answer right away to two of the most likely arguments for anyone to think of.
1. Mary was also kidnapped. Yes, she was. After her and Rhage had already met and gone out on dates. Oh, and Mary was in danger when Hollywood kidnapped her. But Jane?! She and V had never talked, let alone go on dates and there was nothing dangerous on her life until V decided to kidnap her for absolutely no reason. If he wanted to meet her again, he could have just gone to the freaking hospital!
2. I am only complaining about how the relationship started, so why couldn't I get over that and enjoy its development? Short answer, because of how it started. Saying I didn't like Jane being kidnapped is not like saying I didn't like this one thing V said when they met on a date somewhere. They are two different things. I could have got over the second. I won't get over the first. Making someone stay in a house they had never been in, surrounded by strangers, stuck in a room with a man they had never met isn't like saying the wrong thing on a date; everything about that situation is wrong. Have you ever heard of Stockholm Syndrome? Can you tell me without doubts that Jane never feared for her life living in a house full of man armed with all kinds of weapons? Can you tell me that there's absolutely no way that Jane falling in love with V was the way she subconsciously found to preserve her life? Trust me, I tried to tell me that she never felt fear, that there was no way she fell in love to preserve her life. That's how badly I wanted to accept their relationship and feel happy for them. But no matter how hard I tried, the doubt always came back, because truth is, you can't be sure, because Jane was freaking kidnapped!
To make things worse, this book had definitely much less action than all the previous ones. It was focused on V and Jane' s romance and used by Ward to develop the vampiric world a bit more and to develop Phury - preparing us for the next book, which is about him - and a character that I was always curious about but that I always got so little about - the Scribe Virgin. And trust me, I loved that. I loved every single new piece of information, both about the world and the characters. But I couldn't stand the romance and it hurt so much because I do hate romance most of the time, but for V I would have made an exception if the relationship was something I could root for.
And a book where all I could enjoy was the information isn't really a book I could enjoy. All I wanted was some action, just like happened in all the previous books. Some action to balance the romance. But apparently the Lessening were on vacation, which means I got barely any glimpse of the "dangerous and sexy vampires who go out hunting not-so-dead dead humans who hunt them in return" and almost got bored to death.
I did love that ending, though. It is stunningly beautiful. And a new validation for what I already knew - V is the kindest Brother and deserves the world - and a quite pleasant surprise - I may not like V and Jane's relationship, but I like the characters very much and I couldn't think of a better ending for them that wouldn't be a repetition of Rhage and Mary's.
Before the conclusion, I just have a quick question that doesn't stop haunting me. Is V bi or is he straight and he was just confused?! At first I had no doubts that he was bi, but the way his feelings for Butch were explained left me really confused.
Overall, my heart aches for V and I hate Ward for destroying my chance of rooting for his relationship with Jane. But I don't hate her that much, because the world she created (and I got to know more about) is absolutely divine, her characters are perfectly created - a true masterpiece! - and she really left me wanting to read Phury's book to see what will happen!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Rape and Injury/Injury detail
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