Cover Lust, No. 40

The golden skies, the translucent twilight, the white nights, all hold the promise of youth, of love, of eternal renewal. The war has not yet touched this city of fallen grandeur, or the lives of two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha Metanova, who share a single room in a cramped apartment with their brother and parents. Their world is turned upside down when Hitler's armies attack Russia and begin their unstoppable blitz to Leningrad.

Yet there is light in the darkness. Tatiana meets Alexander, a brave young officer in the Red Army. Strong and self-confident, yet guarding a mysterious and troubled past, he is drawn to Tatiana—and she to him. Starvation, desperation, and fear soon grip their city during the terrible winter of the merciless German siege. Tatiana and Alexander's impossible love threatens to tear the Metanova family apart and expose the dangerous secret Alexander so carefully protects—a secret as devastating as the war itself—as the lovers are swept up in the brutal tides that will change the world and their lives forever.

This cover version reminds me of a snow globe! I think I may have to get around to starting this series soon. Have you read it?

TBR Thursday

Kimberly @ Kimberlyfaye Reads started a new weekly feature that I'm excited to join in! This feature is to showcase what's on your to be read shelf (or eReader, or Audible library) and see what others think of it. Have you read it? Should I read it or put it back on the shelf? It's a way to dust off the books on your self and decide if they're worth reading!

No one creates realms like New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop. Now in a thrilling new fantasy series, enter a world inhabited by the Others, unearthly entities—vampires and shape-shifters among them—who rule the Earth and whose prey are humans.
As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others. 

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

Everyone and their mother loves this series, but I've been putting it off for one reason: third person perspective seems to make up the entire novel. I've mentioned before my distaste for that perspective, but I don't think I can express how much I just...hate third person, haha.

However, I'm nearly done with the Chicagoland Vampire series, and I currently have nothing to fill that paranormal void. What do you think? Is it worth it? 

Book Review: Lover Awakened - J. R. Ward

WARNING: This is the third book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and it's the only one I've read. There may or may not be some minor spoilers in this review, as I don't know what is and isn't common knowledge for starting the series. 

 

From Goodreads:

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Of these, Zsadist is the most terrifying member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society.

Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her…

Zsadist, or Z, is one of the six bothers in the Black Dagger Brotherhood. He was captured at a young age and used as a blood slave and sex slave for decades, and the scars left on him by the experience run deep, both physically and mentally. A cruel and ruthless vampire, he lives a life of constant anger, pain, humiliation, and a cold detachment from his fellow vampires, even his own Brothers. Getting off on the terror of others and constantly punishing himself because of how he is, he is trapped inside a life of hopeless darkness - until he meets and rescues Bella. Bella is a stunning aristocrat who was held captive by the vampires' sworn enemy, The Lessers. 

Once freed, they struggle to come to terms with their connection; Z, terrified of being near Bella, fights it every step of the way, while Bella is determined to crack down his walls and be let in. With a very rough road ahead of them, and danger and drama at every turn, the two must decide just how much damage can be repaired, and what is worth fighting for.

That is really all I can say about it without spoiling the story, but it has an interesting and engaging plot. Now, on to the review!

This book was...a bit ridiculous, but I truly enjoyed it. Definitely going on my "guiltiest of guilty pleasures" shelf, right next to my Crossfire and Night Huntress series. I devoured it, and will covertly be reading the others. 

I had several issues with this book, some of which were mild, others had me grinding my teeth in annoyance. 

First and foremost being holy fucking multiple points of views! There's at least 6 regular, alternating voices, and it got both confusing and frustrating trying to keep everyone straight. There's Zsadist, Bella, Phury (Z's twin), John, the main Lesser, and occasionally a bit from Butch and Bella's brother. The book is in third person, which made it even more tough to follow. I felt like I kept getting spoiled by bits, or wasting my time with unnecessary information. Don't get me wrong, I can see why Ward put more people in than just Z and Bella. Phury was an excellent addition, and I grew to really like John's view of the world. Everyone else, though? I could've happily done without them. Truth be told, I wound up skimming some of this novel.

All the strange names for people and things! I had to constantly refer to the glossary in the beginning of the book. 

The names of the Brothers. Maybe it's explained in the first two books, but why such odd spellings? Zsadist, Phury, Rhage, Vishous, Thorment.... I don't get it. 

The way the book panned out was a bit weird for me. The ending felt very, very rushed, and we didn't get to see much of Z and Bella actually being together. It was a fairly long book at around 440 pages, but it felt like there should've been more to it. We had all this angst and longing between the couple, and there wasn't much closure for me. 

On that note....while the ending was sweet, I didn't really see it as fitting for the couple. Maybe if we'd gotten to see them being together I would've been more satisfied, but given the way it was, it felt more just like Ward was trying to wrap everything up with a cute moment. 

There's a pretty big thing that happens towards the climax of the book, and while I understand that this story wasn't for that character, it felt totally unresolved. Even in the epilogue we don't get a mention, and I read the scene as being monumental to the Brotherhood. 

This line: "An 18-wheeler orgasm overtook him. As the top of his cock blew off..." I'm sorry, but all I pictured is someone getting smushed by a Mac truck, while dealing with a very bloody and very painful dick. 

Apart from that though, I really enjoyed this book. It says something that I could have so many issues with a novel and still devour it. And third person, no less! 

"You are clean."

"Oh, no, I'm not. I'm really not. I'm filthy.  I am so very dirty. I am dirty, dirty.... Can you see the dirt? I see it everywhere. It coats me. It seals me in. I can feel it on my skin -"

Zsadist. I love him. My heart broke for him at every page. Despite having so, so many issues, he didn't read like the typical self-loathing male. He truly believes that he is beyond repair, and he doesn't enjoy the feeling the way so many book men do. I teared up on more than one occasion reading what he felt, what he experienced, or how he thought about himself. He starves himself, washes himself raw, deprives himself of the most basic forms of comfort, and it broke me to read him. The scars left on him by his physical and sexual abuse run so deep, and he can't hide them. Can't fix them. 

"What are you saying, Zsadist?"

He glanced back down at the pencil in his hand and then turned to the table. Flipping the spiral notebook to a new page, he bent way over and labored on the top of the page for quite a while. Then he ripped the sheet free.

His hand was shaking as he held it out. "It's messy."

Bella took the paper. In a child's even block letters there were three words: 

I love you

"Maybe you can't read it," He said in a small voice. "I can do it over."

(this expert is what made me want to read the book)

Zsadist is illiterate. Of all the things, this one struck especially hard. Just imagine for a minute what it's like to not be able to read. Looking at this post and not comprehending a single thing I've written. It probably is a greater horror for us as passionate readers to imagine, but even if you weren't someone who took such joys in reading and writing, the effects of illiteracy are staggering. Not being able to read street signs, warnings, directions. Not being able to write your own name. It's a horrifying thought that there are people, adults, who can't read. It's not as uncommon as you may think. There's more than likely at least one person in your town who doesn't know the gift of words. It's simply appalling to even think of that.

I couldn't get a good read on Bella. I never really connected with her, so I had a difficult time seeing things through her eyes. 

The sex scenes were interesting between Z and Bella. We delve so deep into Z's issues that their trysts become more about how he is coping and thinking, rather than getting turned on by vampy sexy times, and I loved that. Z's sexual abuse has shaped him so much into what he is and how he processes, and the sex between them really did a good job of illustrating how far he could go and how much he was willing to try and repair himself, even when he wasn't actively acknowledging it. It was a clever way to show that Z was willing to try and heal for Bella, even as he so desperately fought it.

"You've got to understand that I die for you every day. Your pain is mine."

Something I found fascinating was the relationship between Zsadist and his twin brother, Phury. That bond they have...holy hell. It was so intense! Sometimes you read a book and two characters' chemistry just jumps off the page. Whether between lovers, friends, or siblings, it's an amazing thing to see. That's how it was with Z and Phury. The care Phury has for his brother, the torture he goes through at seeing him hurt, the way he will do anything in his power to help Z was so beautiful. And Z, for all his problems, cares just as deeply. The reconciliation scene...I cried. I enjoyed seeing the two of them interact more than anything else in the entire story.

It took me 100 pages or so to really get into the book, but after that I breezed through it. It was fast paced, engaging, and kept me wanting. When I wasn't reading it, I was itching to get back to it. That's the sign of a good book to me, despite the problems I had with it. I would recommend it, with a tissue warning.

STATS:

Rating: 3.75 stars

Genre: Adult, paranormal romance

Length: 334 pages (paperback)

Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood, book 3

POV: 3rd person, multiple

Steam/sexual content: Steamy, explicit sex

Warnings: violence, graphic mental, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, graphic sex, drug use

Cliffhanger: For this couple, no

HEA: Yes

From my library 

- The Bibliophile Babe 

My Top Five Biggest Book Peeves

Hey, everyone! Happy Hump Day!


Today's post, as you might've guessed by the title, is going to be my most grating book peeves. You know what I mean: you're reading along, happy as a pig in shit, and then you stumble across it. That horrid monstrosity that makes you grit your teeth, makes your hands tighten on your page, and gives you a brief fantasy of pitching the book against the wall. At least, I hope it's not just me who feels like that.....

                                                           

#5. Third Person Point of View

Admittedly, this is one of my lesser annoyances, and it doesn't stop me from reading a third person book if it's fast paced, well written, or deliciously smutty (preferably all three). The style just bothers me. I find it extremely difficult to connect with the characters, and it doesn't hold my attention as well as first person does. It's not as engaging, and as such it makes me infinitely more critical of every tiny little thing in the book.

#4. When The Next Book in The Series is a Different Hight

Good god, this one messes with my OCD on so many levels. I have floating shelves that cover three walls, and a jammed packed bookcase. I love seeing my books set up all lovely, and seeing series lined up together makes me moan like a wanton hussy... unless the damn things are a smidgen different in height. And I'm not talking a paperback vs a hardback! No, this is two paperbacks in the same series! Refer to the below photo, and if this doesn't make you twitch....I don't even know. 

Look at the Nocte trilogy books. They're amazing books with beautiful covers, and it's one of my all time favorite series, but I can barely stand to look at in on my favorites shelf. You can't un-see it!

#3. When your character starts out "fun" and "quirky", and a few books later is just downright annoying

This one always disappoints me, as I usually wind up really liking the series/character at first. The Charley Davison books by Darynda Jones immediately come to mind with this. Charley, the female protagonist, starts out as a bit spacey, but funny and insightful at the same time. I really enjoyed her character during the first four books, but as the series wore on I was getting fed up. The author laid it on too thick, and kept adding to an already existing trait that didn't need any adding. Does she really need to name every goddamn thing under the sun? If you've read the books, you know what I mean. If not, and you're a fan of light PNR (paranormal romance), I highly recommend the first four books. After that, proceed at your own risk.

#2. Suddenly introducing flipping POVs just for the hell of it

Grrr, this one! It was neck and neck with my number one peeve, but got nudged down. It was close, though! I can't stand it when you're reading a series that has been set in one person's point of view for a few books, and we get a well established rhythm going, and then in the next book we suddenly have  dual point of views for absolutely no reason at all. An excellent example would be Captivated By You by Sylvia Day, the fourth book in the Crossfire series. I love the books, but the that one bugged the crap out of me. I liked reading from Eva's POV solely, and as much as I love Gideon, I don't want to read his part. It takes away something from his character, in my opinion. The image I built up of him twisted a bit as I read him, and that frustrated me. 

I'm not against dual POV stories at all (like Colleen Hoover's and Tarryn Fisher's stunning love child Never Never), or suddenly flipping POVs in a series for a good reason (like in Karina Halle's final Experiment in Terror book, Dust to Dust), but when people start doing it willy-nilly it grates on me like nails on chalkboard.

And finally....drumroll please.....

#1. Love Triangles

Stop it, stop it, stop it!!! This one, without question, is my biggest and most intense peeve. Stop. It. It's especially popular in the YA genre, and I have no idea why. I just do not get it, especially when it's in a romance based book or series. You harp on and on about your undying love for the other person, now you're eye-fucking someone else and waffling back and forth between whom you should choose. Drives me insane.

This is one thing that will have me quitting the book and series if there is one, 99.99% of the time. I can think of two books where I persevered, and that's because they weren't really even love triangles! The first is Karen Marie Morning's Fever series, and it's a stretch to call it a love triangle. The second is Karina Halle's A-fucking-mazing The Artists Trilogy. I recently found out from the author that she never intended for people to get the love triangle vibe from the book, and I find that so interesting. The "other guy", if you will, is one of the most fascinating characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading, even though he's a very firm antihero. 

So there you have it! What are some of your biggest issues when reading? Have you ever pushed past one of them simply because the book was that good?

- The Bibliophile Babe