Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Il risveglio by J.R. Ward

19 reviews

witcheep's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I've first read this book about ten years ago (and it was written almost 20 years ago!), and on this reread the story was as captivating as I remembered. Nowadays it might be put into the spicy romantacy genre, and as such it fits multiple popular tropes (e. g. mates, touch-her-and-die) and feels delightfully multidimensional and fresh: the FMC isn't a helpless damsel in distress even though she is introduced to a whole new world of vampires and needs guidance.

The worldbuilding is interesting and the plethora of characters is well-rounded with interesting multidimensional personalities. Especially disability is written very respectfully as a normal part of the characters' lives into the plot. I think I'll reread the series further soon.

It is worth mentioning, though, that some of the wordings and mindsets especially around lgbtq+ community (

brief mentions/slurs in dialoque

) and women's standing in the society (both in human and vampire ones; women characters are either

innocent as virgins, mothers/spouses or whores

) feels very prejudiced and condemnatory at times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use, Gun violence, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

mk_meow's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

1🌶️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

Minor: Drug use, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

whiskis's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The first book of one of my fav sagas ever, what else is there to say? It's just so unique the way JRWard tells this story, the complexity of the world and the way it develops it's just awesome in a full new way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol

Minor: Police brutality

jamiebrito's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

glutenfreemaggie's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

scarlet_frost's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is a great classic 90s PNR, It has action, multiple POVs, A love story, and a HEA, while leaving room for many many sequels. If you like early Dresden files or other similar books, you’ll enjoy this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Murder

booklovinmamas's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Since the announcement that Passionflix is picking up the Black Dagger Brotherhood series to make them into movies, I decided it was time for another reread of the series. I have some catching up to do anyway since I drifted away from the series years ago when I started working full-time. Depending on my mood, I’ll be either listening to the books or reading them.

Storyline/My Thoughts: How I have missed the BDB series, J.R. Ward has been a favorite of mine since 2009 when I first started reading her books. First, Wrath has been one of my book-boyfriends for a while. The first time I read Dark Lover in 2009, I fell for the intimidating sexy 6 foot 9 inches leather-wearing Blind King. I was jealous that Beth became his mate in the book, but she fit him perfectly since she could handle his alpha ways. 

If you enjoy a PNR series with lots of world-building storytelling and bada$$, unforgettable characters, you’ll enjoy this series. The first book introduces you to the Black Dagger Brotherhood vampires, and the first one to get their story is the King himself, Wrath. He is the only pureblood vampire and is meant to lead the vampires, not fight along with them. He prefers to fight with his men to avenge what happened to his parents, but he knows eventually, he’ll have to give it up. He’s been tasked to help with bringing his friend’s daughter over for transition as a vampire. It will be easier for her if Wrath helps her. The woman, Beth, has no clue about the vampire world, and he will have to ease her into it. He’s not supposed to fall for Beth, though, but finds it hard to resist her.

Wrath and Beth’s relationship is instant-love and lust. A reminder this is a fated mates storyline, so these books usually have that trope in them. Wrath comes off as scary and intimidating, but the vampire has a way in the bedroom, and Beth can’t resist him. There is a reason, though, for the instant attraction between the two characters. I loved how Beth could handle Wrath in this book and how Wrath was very possessive and protective of Beth immediately, even if he was resistant at first to be with her. I can’t wait to see their relationship grow in later books in the series.

This is not a book about sparkly vampires. This book is about vampires fighting an evil that wants to harm them known as Lessers. These Lessers will do anything to rid Caldwell, NY (the world) of these vampires, especially the Black Dagger Brotherhood, an elite of warrior vampire brothers. They are the strongest and most intimidating out of all the vampires. I loved how J.R. Ward set up the first book introducing everything to her readers and what will come later in the series.

Readers will not only fall for the main characters from Dark Lover but the other Black Dagger Brotherhood vampire warriors, too. Wrath may be my top fave, but I have slight crushes on the others. J.R. Ward made them ALL irresistible in different ways. 

I give Dark Lover 5 ‘outstanding ‘stars, and I’m furiously diving into the next books as I type this review. I have missed this world from J.R. Ward and am glad to be back in it. 

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and I recommend reading in order.

Steam/Spice: 🌶 🌶 🌶   

Genre(s)/Trope(s)/Element(s): Paranormal Romance. Fated Mates. Vampires. Instant Love. Alpha MMC. Vampire MMC. Royalty/Vampire King MMC. Half-Vampire/Half-Human FMC. Touch Her and I’ll Unalive You.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. I recommend this to romance readers who love the Paranormal Romance subgenre. If you are looking for a long-written series with sexy vampire warriors, these are for you too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Police brutality and Death of parent

The FMC is

sexually assaulted in the beginning of the book. She does get away before anything happens.

Butch, her cop friend goes after the person who dared harm her.

He's a police officer and takes justice in his own hands but it backfires on him and he ends up suspended without pay. Justice is served in the end though of the person that did dare hurt her at the end of the book.

wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I don't really know what to say about this book.  It's the first one I managed to pick up and finish in a while so it had that going for it but part of that might have been that I wanted to see where the trainwreck go.

So many things were conveniently coincidental.  It was full of tropes that I hate, like fridging, dubious consent, insta-lust/love, etc...

The take on vampires was different I suppose but the secret society based enemy was decidedly wacky.  Will not be continuing the series.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

emmablue's review against another edition

3.0

the hottest line:

“I’m going to shoot you.”
“Fine with me. I like bullet wounds.”

the most ridiculous line:

Why couldn’t she have been named Mary. Or Sue.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Animal death, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Transphobia, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Murder

smartcookiesca's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Sexual assault, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Medical content and Stalking

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Rape