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 Brotherhood’s mansion, Phury must decide between duty and love…

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3544 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 560 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780451222725
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Wards's terrific latest picks up the Black Dagger Brotherhood of vampires where Lover Unbound left off. Phury, a sworn Brother who has also become the Primale, is wrestling with a destiny he doesn't want, an addiction he can't handle and an insurmountable feeling of inadequacy that bleeds over into his love for Cormia, his Chosen First Mate. He holes up at the Brotherhood's rural New York base. The Omega, bent on destroying the vampire race, is meanwhile growing ever stronger, and his long-held plan to destroy the Brothers, via the Lessening Society, is coming to fruition. Younger Brotherhood trainees John Matthew, Qhuinn and Blaylock are learning what it means to come of age and are immersed in their own drama with Qhuinn's malicious cousin, Lash. The stories all reach a shared climax, leading to explosive revelations that set up the next book beautifully. Focusing less on Phury and Cormia and more on the Omega's plot amps the tension on all sides. A subplot involving Rhevenge, John Matthew and the female symphath Xhex is particularly exciting, with Ward diving into varied subspecies, sexual predilections and questions of identity. Ward has outdone herself with this latest Brotherhood novel. (June)
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From Booklist
Phury has long been the self-sacrificing Brother. He maimed himself body and soul to save his twin. Now he’s taken Vischous’ place as the Primale, the one meant to replenish the dwindling number of Brothers and Chosen for the race. But his inner demons threaten to ruin it all. His place among the Brotherhood. His role as Primale. His relationship with his First Mate, Cormia. His greatest challenge, however, is proving to himself he truly is the hero he’s always tried to be. Ward’s fans have come to expect stories jam-packed with complex, ongoing story lines, and her newest is no exception. With major series-turning events, the subplots weigh in more than ever, at times suggesting that there can be too much of a good thing. But in the end the indulgence is worth it. Along with the happy endings, more darkness comes to pass, showing the war between the vampires and the lessers is far from over, which happily means more Black Dagger Brotherhood stories to come. --Nina C. Davis

Customer Reviews

A 4 star book with a 2 star romance
*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.

I'm Not Feeling it.......
I waited for this book, I rushed out and bought this book on the morning it was released. I sat down and read it straight through. By halfway through I was annoyed, frustrated, and confused. Way too much going on in this book for me to really care about all of it at once. Some of the subplots were too drawn out and seemed unnecessary.

The Brothers were a disapointment, where was the closeness, the comraderie, the "family"? John, Blay, and Qhuinn became the story. Interesting, but why make them the focus of the book? They seemed to be taking over. I felt that Wrath and the Brotherhood gave up, or stopped responding, all the way around. They looked kind of ineffectual at dealing with everything, including Phury. Honestly, by the end of the book, I didn't much care about any of them. I didn't feel anything for Cormia and Phury. Especially with the weak and unsatisfying resolution. The journey wasn't interesting and frankly didn't make sense. Too many detours.

When J.R Ward started this series I was completely caught up in the story and characters. I won't say I'm done with this series but I have lost interest in what happens to them. I probably will continue to read the books, eventually, when I find them at a used book store. I don't feel the need to run out and pay full price. I don't think I want to see this series go down in flames. It's too sad. Truly disappointing.

Disappointed with Author's Genre change midway thru Series
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.