And What Is Brave? (Insurgent by Veronica Roth)

Review of 

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

I have done bad things.

I can't take them back, 

and they are part of who I am.

Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.

Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she must be stronger than ever... because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.

Insurgent continues the story of our awesome hero Tris almost immediately from where Divergent left off. If you’re planning on reading Divergent, I’d recommend getting Insurgent as well or at least the moment you know you’re liking Divergent: the effect of reading these two with each other is incredible. 

Now, in Insurgent the stakes have been raised. Divergent began as more of a story about Tris trying to find herself, making a place for herself in the world and becoming brave, the person she’s always wanted to be. But with Insurgent, all of that has basically been destroyed, left behind. Now Tris faces the challenge that maybe, the person she’s always wanted to be isn’t a good person and what does it really mean to be brave after all. 

Tris was conflicted in Divergent, but now it’s more than that: she’s ashamed and feels guilty - for many reasons. The final moments of Divergent dealt some surprises to Tris and us readers and it’s not easy for Tris to get up from all that happened. 

I really, truly, honestly love the way the feelings that Tris goes through in here are dealt with. Roth handles the near-constant conflict that Tris feels wonderfully: it doesn’t become whining, as in some books it can become when a certain complaint is repeated or not handled well. Instead, we get too feel how much Tris hates what she’s done and is afraid of what she might do in the future. 

We also see how she’s changed from the girl that we first met in Divergent. But that may not be a good thing, as Tris maybe loses herself. 

Four takes some of Tris’ limelight in this book, but it has always been obvious - at least to me - that out of the two of them, Four is the one who knows exactly what he wants and who he wants to be. Not to say that he doesn’t have his weaknesses, but in Insurgent Four is one of those people who stays constant. He does have his own conflicts and butts heads with Tris, but he still stays firmly himself - even becomes more sure of himself, which is interesting when faced with Tris’ own dilemmas. 

I almost hate to say it, but some of my favorite parts are when Tris and Four are disagreeing about something. It feels like that’s the moment when both of them are most fully themselves. Or, that actually goes for all of their interactions. 

And I do love these two together, as you can almost visibly see the connection they share. But then again, they’re so different despite their similarities that it’s really interesting to watch. (Also: KISS)

There are a lot of characters jumping up and down in this book, as there is a lot of running around and going “OMG, this is not good.” It’s really interesting to see how these people live in their world and how really different their thinking is. Roth also gives her side characters some excellent storylines and character development and deals with them in such amazing detail that few can do that. 

Insurgent isn’t as flawlessly flowing as Divergent is: it’s much more frantic, story-wise and pacing-wise. There are parts that this works for the story and it seems planned and some parts that sort of flop around. Roth goes through them bravely with her excellent writing and I didn’t find it that bothering, though there were parts where I noticed it. 

One of the standing out things about Divergent and Insurgent is the world it’s based in. It’s so very different from ours and not just because it’s in the future or because people jump off trains. It is so different in its very ideals and morals that it’s fascinating to watch people interact. The characters value so different things than we do that it’s really interesting to see how they deal with conflicts that shake their very beliefs. That is definitely one of the things that make this series. 

It seems like Roth likes to lure the reader into thinking that the worst is over, but then she brings out the really big surprises. She did that in Divergent and does so in this one as well. Though, we do get some big truths along the way. 

Final thoughts: Insurgent is a brilliant follow-up to Divergent - it almost trips the second book of the trilogy -curse, but Roth bravely manages to save it by remembering the awesomeness of Tris, throwing in some Four and adding just enough danger, mystery and action. In Insurgent everything is bigger and bolder than in Divergent, as the real game has been revealed - and the staked are higher than ever.

How to be Brave (Divergent by Veronica Roth)

A review of 

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Three flying birds... 

One for each member of the family I left behind.

Sixteen-year-old Tris is forced to make a terrible choice. In a divided society where everyone must conform, Tris does not fit. 

So she ventures out alone, determined to discover where she truly belongs. Shocked by her brutal new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her. 

The hardest choice lies ahead. 

Divergent was one of those Young Adult novels I’d heard a lot about, but I was afraid of reading. It seemed like one of those YA dystopian novels about a girl living in a society with weird rules and can be really frustrating because of said rules and sometimes because of the distant voice of our main character. 

And now I feel ashamed for not reading about this book before, because it is amazing. 

And before I continue, can I just say that the summary above is really odd, compared to the book? I didn't even read it before now - I walked into the store and grabbed the first Divergent I saw - and good thing I didn't: I might not have read this because that summary is pretty awful in my opinion.  Ignore it? 

Our main lady is Beatrice Prior, or Tris, who is facing a tough situation making a big choice about the rest of her life that could hurt her family or hurt her. It’s hard to describe Tris because she’s pretty obviously trying to find herself - for most of the book she’s going “Who the hell am I?” But weirdly, even though this is in first person, I didn’t find that annoying. 

What I most love about Tris is the obvious battle she has going on inside her - the battle over who she is, who others want her to be and who does she really want herself to be? And then, even though we see her try to find herself, we get these moments where she just lets go and does what she feels is right. Not that it’s always true, because as much as Tris is smart and resilient, she’s got faults, too. And the book shows all the sides that there are to her and it is pretty awesome getting to see Tris learn how to kick ass. 

I have to mention the main gentleman, as sometimes it feels like we’re getting our hot guys from the same mold when it comes to YA. Well, Four thankfully breaks that mold and he’s also one of the reasons that make Divergent awesome and extremely entertaining. Four comes off a little arrogant and sarcastic, but it doesn’t become a problem because we almost immediately learn that there are more sides to him. That’s what makes him so much interesting and it softens him, me thinks. 

The more we see of him, the more we see that the arrogance could be just a face. Also, I gotta like the guy what with the way he’s protective, smart in battle and is actually pretty good at teaching. 

Also what makes me really like Four is that he’s a good balance to Tris: they both appear to have some sort of battle going on inside their heads and that makes them similar. They’re different yes, because Four is pretty much good at everything - not really, but almost - while Tris has to work for it. That’s a pretty interesting relationship, with Four trying to teach Tris and the two of them clashing a little. And we see a softer side to Four when he tries to protect Tris, which again makes things interesting.

The side characters have their moments: there are some extremely well written ones, that have some excellent details going on that hint more about them, if we just got a longer look. But most of them happen to be “the evil guys” - the friends and loved ones of Tris are less interesting. This could be because Tris loves them so much already, that she sees it as obvious - while it isn’t so obvious to the reader who would need more time to love them. Still, Roth manages to bring out complexities in all of her characters, even in those that we see for three pages and not for much more: she writes situations that really bring out the fact that even good guys to shitty things. 

Now, the plot is simple, yet slightly surprising. It’s simple enough to be guessable, but the way Roth writes it, is captivating enough to notice it too late. The so-called simple plot makes it even more shocking when we get a big surprise and Roth has a few of those in hand. 

There’s a perfect balance of Tris’ thoughts and description - the inner thinkings of our main character don’t slow the story down, but they give it a boost. Without Tris, the story would be far more boring. And the way Roth writes is really, really captivating. There are quiet moments that lead up to fast paced action, then we get a small glimpse of romance and then the we get a punch in the face and so on. It keeps you reading. 

I truly loved how the choice that Tris made was handled. I feel like Divergent is the story about finding how to be brave and then trying to follow that through. Except it’s no where near as easy as that, with people and situations changing rapidly. And also, while the love between Four and Tris had its moments, that wasn’t what the book was about. The book’s about Tris and her journey - the romance has its place and it is awesome, but it doesn’t take over the book. 

Final thoughts: Divergent is captivating and doesn’t let you go - thanks to the talent of Roth’s writing and Tris, who really is the start of the book. I usually hate first person narrative and this is one of those books that made me doubt that. I immediately jumped to the next one. Unfortunately, if you don’t like Tris - or Four - you probably don’t end up liking the book. 

This is True (Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward)

A review of

 

Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York,
there's a war raging between vampires and their
slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers
like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their
race. But now an ally of the Brotherhood
is about to encounter his own dark desires...

Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard-living ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world  - to engage in the turf war with the lessers. He's got nothing to lose. His heart belongs to a female vampire, Marissa, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. And if he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers...

Fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he's found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back. But even her love may not be enough to save him...

The fourth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series is perhaps one of my favorites. It’s rather plot-heavy versus romance - I really feel like these two are fighting for page-time in this book and there are unfortunate moments that it’s very distracting. I do have to admit that the plot of this book, the growing and journey that both Marissa and Butch go through is one of the reasons that this is one of my favorites. The two of them have to go independently before they can be good together. 

What I do think Butch likes about Marissa is of course, some of that innocence that she has, mainly because he’s never had that quality or that he’s really never witnessed it - it’s like a mirage to him. But then as he gets to know Marissa, we see that there’s more to her. She’s got this desire to be independent, but I don’t think Marissa really knows how to be that. She’s never really lived like she’s wanted to and that endearing about her: to see how she gets on her feet, truly. Marissa’s also one of the heroines who actually has some serious self doubts. Here’s a female, who’s basically been shushed her whole life and Marissa is in the end a person who wants to live in peace with everyone, so she wouldn’t have put up a vocal fight like Beth or Mary might have. But instead of letting her doubts get to her, Marissa builds herself a new life from nothing and wow, that’s pretty damn amazing. 
She’s also rather protective, she wants to keep everyone safe and that’s something that almost stops her from truly loving Butch, I think, because Butch lives on the edge, he doesn’t really care for himself. And Marissa’s someone who just wants people to be safe from harm. 

Like I said, Butch is pretty much the opposite of Marissa, living on the edge and not giving a shit about whatever happens to himself. We see him as the funny guy and who wants to do some good. But Butch is, ultimately, selfish and there’s darkness to him. He doesn’t always think about where Marissa is coming from - neither does she always where he’s coming from - and that’s a big reason for most of their disagreements. I think Butch’s pretty focused on just moving forward and he forgets that happiness could be an option too and that he doesn’t have to sacrifice himself to be good. And that’s probably a part of what pulls him towards Marissa, because he can relax and let go. But then again, he’s a fighter and will always be. Butch wouldn’t be happy if he wasn’t out there, fighting the fight he is and giving it his 100 %  - we see this when the Brotherhood uses his police-y deduction skills and really, it was time someone thought about things the way Butch did. 

Both of our main characters go through some serious growing up in this book. They both have shit to sort through. Butch has lived only for himself before, mainly surviving and he’s really in no place to be in a relationship. Marissa on the other hand has to learn to live for herself and Butch is in the way of that. Their lovestory really began all the way back in Dark Lover, but I somehow just love the whole thing that these two keep coming back together only to be thwarted by life: they both have feelings for each other but neither are in a good place to have a relationship. So they keep going back and forward, until both come to a place where they can be happy together. That’s one of the reasons I love them, but the back-and-forward is also at times, rather tedious. 

What’s also really nice about these two, is that despite all their differences - Butch coming from a really violent place and Marissa being an aristocrat, they have a lot of similarities. There’s an underlaying darkness to both of them and the need to protect what they love at whatever cost. We see Marissa’s “darker side”, methinks, when she goes and burns her clothes. Butch thinks that to protect he needs to destroy his enemies, Marissa thinks she needs to protect the innocent from harm. I think it’s really interesting how they’re so different and then so similar in some ways. There’s also their desires for a simple, happy life.

And then, of course we have the biggest bromance of the book series, Vishous and Butch. And these two, I think, define the word bromance, because neither has had close friends before and then they meet each other. If you say these two don’t love each other, I’m not quite sure if we read the same book or series. It’s really well done, because the guys are at times a little baffled by their trust in each other, but when it comes down to it, they just instinctually trust each other. And that’s definitely one of the best parts in the series. 

I mentioned it before, but this is a plot-heavy book. By now a lot of details have started to fall in about the world the series is centered on. The plot is having a battle with the romance in this one and I’m afraid to say it doesn’t get any better in the next few books. It’s only going to get rougher from here on, because there are going to be a lot more plot points and twists that Ward throws in. But that said, I love the whole arch that Butch goes through and I think it both resolves a lot of stuff and leaves us with more questions. 

Final thoughts: As far as characters go, Marissa and Butch will always be some of my favorites to read about, they’re both so multifaceted people, who have problems and hang ups and don’t just miraculously get over them. Story-wise it’s also an excellent one as you have no idea what’s going to happen - even when things seems solved, they might not be. Lover Revealed has Ward at her best, story-wise and with her writing. 

If You're Chained (Ash by Malinda Lo)

Review of 

Ash by Malinda Lo 

In the wake of her father’s death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.
The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King’s Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash’s capacity for love—and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.

Reading Ash I was reminded of the fairytales I used to read as a child and I just loved that feeling of fairytaleness that the book has. There's a dreamy feeling to it and a small detachedness. It's not a bad thing, you know, like in books where the narrator is very dull? It's not like that, but that feeling at least for me came from the fact that the girl seems very caught up in her own world and far away from the reality that everyone else is living in. That was heartbreaking for me and honestly, the way her life goes made me just want to hug her, because she sure deserves it. And that “detachedness” just made me fall in to the book more - I read it in one sitting. 

I liked Ash, the moment I began to read the book. She seems like a dreamer that’s had to fight for her right to dream. And well, then there’s the Cinderella-aspect, which I think was done well, in the sense that you know, she has to work and it’s really not a good fate, but Ash doesn’t whine about it. Of course, her stepmother brainwashes her a little, but Ash is loyal and honest and so, she does the work. 

I liked that not all the characters in the book thought she was worse than dirt. I loved how one of the stepsisters, Clara, treated Ash nicely enough, though she really had no obvious reason to do so. 

The King’s Huntress, Kaisa - let me tell you, it still shocks me everytime I read that name and I love it. Kaisa’s down to earth and I think she’s in the beginning a little more taken with Ash, which is adorable. That was the feeling that I got. I think to Kaisa Ash is this mysterious being that just pops up to amaze her. And I do like the fact that she’s almost a background character to Ash’s story and that she doesn’t really mind it - even if she does want to help, it’s Ash’s life. 

Also, I did like the way Ash and the huntress' relationship was played. It wasn't big and dramatic, but there was a lot of feeling. It really was like it is in fairytales, that the smallest thing has the biggest meaning. I personally felt that the huntress at first vowed Ash, because she was like something that had stepped out of a fairytale book, as captivating as the fairy prince. But then, Kaisa sort of shows that she's down to earth, simple in her ways and I think that Ash realizes she likes that more than the extravaganza danger of the fairies. She just wanted out of a shitty life and the huntress proves that it doesn't have to be something chosen for you but something that you choose. And that you can choose. I'm not sure if I'm putting this in to words well enough - I feel like words simply fail me with this book, it's somehow just out of my reach. But what I most feel like is that the huntress is the anchor that brings the girl to the real world and shows her it doesn't have to be all pain and that you have the choice, that you can make it as brilliant as you want. 

The worldbuilding is exquisite. Though we may see very little of it, we do see that there’s a big, big world out there. We’re shown just small pieces, these lovely little details that make me want to explore it more. And I loved how the fairies were incorporated in to the world, how they were seen as these fairytales or legends and myths, where you could guess that they were sort of glorious and deadly, but you really were just guessing because fairies. I’ve read very few fairy-themed books that I really felt like I could truly get in to - just my fault, I’ve read amazing fairy stories, but it’s just me  - and I really loved how it was done here. It’s very mysterious and there’s a lot of extravaganza, but then again, it feels very simple, that it’s like everyday for the fairies. 

Lo’s writing is most excellent. It’s detailed, but the details don’t slow the book down, they just add these tiny details that we pass by. And they make it just bigger and oh so much better. And the little details make the book’s time-jumps that much more easier to follow. In the end, the details and the basic flow of the writing is just to die for. 

Final thoughts: You like fairytales? If you do, I suggest you read this, it reads almost like a fairytale. And Lo’s writing is so detailed and glorious and the characters are amazing and there’s magic. Truly, this books stands out for me from all the fairy books and all the fairytale-ish books just because of the way Lo writes. She’s definitely been added to my favorite authors list. 

The Ability to Love (Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward)

A review of 

Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward

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…

I knew ahead that I was going to have some trouble writing a review about Lover Awakened. I turned out to be a little more correct on that one than I had thought. 

So I really had a hard time putting thoughts into words on page. It's one of the series' most emotional books - this is a roller coaster, people are so moody - and it’s filled with some things that would probably need extra warnings and trigger warnings if we were to discuss them on the internet. But here Ward’s really pulled the big guns out and the Big Plot makes an appearance. 

Lover Awakened is a lot about the struggle the main pair has in their relationship with each other and the struggle they have with themselves - the romance may be big, but the wheels have started turning. The book makes some twists that shock you and well, will quite probably hook you for the rest of the series. 

And, I’m not sure if I’d really talk about romance with this one. There are some really dark parts and the romance moves slowly and both the main lady and guy have a lot of dark things to deal with. There’s some really big emotions, but the “happier” parts are rare. Not that there aren’t any good or happy parts! But many of the characters are uncertain in this book and it really feels like a crossroads for the series. 

Bella's one of my favorite characters. She's a gentle female, I think generally just wanting to be happy and the others around her to be happy, too. She just wants to live a long and healthy life, happy and all, but things just haven’t gone the way she’s wanted. It definitely makes her seem less oh-so-perfect, as there are times that she acts just like the race’s perfect female. 

I think that she’s got a backbone, though she chooses the more peaceful way more often. It is obvious, that if she has to she will fight for the people she loves and for herself, though she isn’t a fighter. 

Seeing that she’s from a pretty wealthy, respected family that’s on top of the race’s hierarchy, I think that during the book she has to go through some adjustments, that maybe the world isn’t as rightful as she’s thought. And, that with Bella not being naïve or innocent, but I think that she can’t understand people hurting each other. 

Also, she’s herself a truly honest person, who’ll go after things that she wants and is pretty honest with herself about things, so that makes her clash with Z several times. There are times that Z is more callous that she’s used to people ever being and then he’s more innocent at times than she is. So she has to adjust to that, too and perhaps a little to the fact that happy endings come in very different packages. 

Zsadist is one of my favorites of the brothers and this seems to be the general opinion of everyone who’s read the books. Zsadist never really got over his past and unlike his brothers, who also have messed up history, he never really saw a reason to even try live a normal happy life. I mean, he pretty much has nothing going for him and then, he was plucked away from everything he knew and someone just told him to live a happy life. I really wonder what Phury was thinking, that he’d just magically be okay? 

But he still commits to the Brotherhood, no matter unsocial and unhappy he may seem about it. He still has his brothers’ backs and protects them fiercely. And that’s why I love him. The others think of him just as a brutal fighter, who enjoys the fight, but in reality I think he’s a lot more “aware” of things than the others think.

As the story goes on, we get to see the many sides that he has. We get to see, that he really cares about his brothers and the females, but he just doesn’t understand affection. And with his past, he has serious trust issues, even with his brothers. There’s also a surprising innocence that he has towards himself, as if he’s shut himself off from feeling so well that he’s shocked that he has them. 

Mary, the heroine of the previous book is actually the first one, I think, to see that, yes, Zsadist is broken but there’s more to him. And then there’s Bella, who treats him just like another male and not a wild beast who’ll bite her - like his brothers do. And that’s I think, one of the reasons he realizes that living might be a good thing after all. 

Bella and Zsadist’s start is bad, thinking about them meeting in Lover Eternal and there are seriously stupid moments in this one, too. Zsadist is pretty messed up and I think Bella, coming from a wealthy family, is used to the idea that everything can be fixed. 

They clash a lot, with Zsadist pretty much freaking out and trying to push her away and Bella pushing back. I do feel like she’s sometimes a little too much in his space, too focused on him. But I like that she admits that at first she was interested because of the thrill. It doesn’t make it okay, but it’s good that she sees and realizes it. 

In the end, I think they’re a good match in the sense that she’s stubborn enough to push him when he’s being stupid. But she’s gentle, too, something that just clicks with Zsadist.

I also like that Ward doesn’t just write off Z’s past, that we see him struggle with it constantly and he even says he’ll probably never be as happy as he would have been if things would have gone as they should have. But he soldiers on and enjoys the things he can, in the end. 

Unfortunately, the same isn’t quite done to Bella. Her past isn’t focused on as much as Z’s is and by the time they meet, they’ve both been through a lot and while Z’s is slightly grander, hers deserves the same attention. But it is a little forgotten alongside Z’s issues and that bothers me a little. 

The emotion of the book is visible in every way, not just between the main pair. It's in John Matthew's story, who is such an incredible character, at the same time both vulnerable and strong. We see the real emotion between the brotherhood, how they really care about each other, though as males probably share it very little. This extends to the ladies, which continues as a side plot through out the books. I do wish that the past ladies would get more time on the page as the males do, but I guess with a big cast Ward has to make choices. 

Final thoughts: Lover Awakened is one of the stand outs in the series, tight with tension, action and well, romance. It’s emotional and there are points that can put the reader to the test - to see if you really like the series. But you really will if you can get along with Zsadist, who can be a really tough nut to crack. And with this one Ward really gets things going, with everything being big - big plot movements, big shockers and lots of emotion. 

Flash Review of Wildefire by Karsten Knight

A flash review of 
Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Every flame begins with a spark.

Blackwood Academy was supposed to be a fresh start for Ashline Wilde. A secluded boarding school deep in the heart of California's redwood forests, three thousand miles from her old life - it sounded like the new beginning she needed after an act of unspeakable violence left a girl in her hometown dead. 

But Blackwood is far from the peaceful haven Ashline was searching for. 
Because terrifying, supernatural beasts roam the forests around campus. 
Because the murderer from Ashline's hometown - her own sister - has followed her across the country. 

Because a group of reincarnated gods and goddesses has been mysteriously summoned to Blackwood...
... And Ashline's one of them. 

I found this book almost by accident, but when I read an excerpt in which Ashline kicks ass, I was hooked. I love me a girl who can kick ass. 

Ashline Wilde, the main character, is spirited and still insecure in other ways. For some heroines, the heroic actions and sacrifices come easily, but that’s not the feeling I get with Ash. I like it that she just sort of goes with it. 

Ash’s life was shaken up by the things that happen at the beginning of the book. She’s a little lost because of that, but she’s still sure of herself. That’s obvious in how she’s extremely independent, almost to a fault. She doesn’t want to rely on others, but has to take care of things by herself. I think she definitely hates being a burden and doesn’t like burdening others, so she tries to take care of things herself. Some of it might also come from the fact that her trust has been betrayed badly before. Basically, she’s got a smart head, but her need to take care of things by herself gets in the way.

I like the fact that she’s still got her friends, even though she has some lone wolf traits going on. She doesn’t hate on people easily - possibly because she’s been there herself - unless it’s with a good reason. 

The side characters are just as well handled as the main character. I’m trying to be cautious and not say anything specific, so I won’t spoil you. 

There’s quite a lot of characters with Ashline and I love how some seemed like a typical stereotype, but turned out to be the almost opposite. And I also loved how we were shown through Ash’s perspective that she made mistakes in judging people: they turned out to be something else other than they thought, that the characters had more sides to them than she had thought. 

The plot isn’t something that I guessed but it’s very simple. And there’s nothing wrong with simple, in fact I liked it that the action wasn’t the main thing. It’s more about following the character about their normal lives and then something strange happens and more of than not, someone does something seemingly out of character. This book just seems to show only pieces of a bigger mystery that’s going on behind the scenes. And frankly, from what I’ve read about the second book, I think there could be enough good stuff for a long series. Knight gives us just enough of hints of the mystery to make us curious and I’m definitely curious to find out what is going on.

The idea is original, even you might stop for a second when ancient gods are mentioned. They’re used a lot in literature and co., but Knight succeeds in making them his own. Like I said, it’s more about the characters themselves than the massive powers they’ve got. I’ve read other books that have done that before - downplayed the god-aspect and made them more “normal - and I seriously have to applaud Knight for handling it the best. 

And the writing is excellent. I’m not sure how to describe it, but it flows well, fastly paced at some times and then it calms and the humor just jumps out behind a tree. I love how there’s sort of this sense of normalcy and then a huge tragedy strikes or after a wild action scene there’s humor where you wouldn’t expect it. 

Final thoughts: I liked the book, it was a great read that had me jumping up and down and laughing aloud. The whole god-thing, mythology and mystery is tied well together. The book has got some serious “What are you doing, you’re not doing that, stop it!” -scenes going on and I love them. Also, Knight is pretty good at cliffhangers or just giving important hints and not revealing more. 

Interlude!

Hello there. Sorry I've been absent for so long! But now I have three posts almost ready, so expect updates this and next week! 
(If you're wondering how ready, that means I have to check some points and make sure the sentences make sense in English.) 

Found the Place to Rest My Head (Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward)

A review of 

Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war raging between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret bound of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Possessed by a deadly beast Rhage is the most dangerous of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Owned by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.

Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant to Rhage's protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. She lost her faith in miracles years ago. But when Rhage's intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves...

Now, I explained in the review of Dark Lover, how introductionary it was and I’m ashamed to admit, so is Lover Eternal. We see more of the Brothers and their daily lives and more of the actual workings of the world. At this point it really feels more like people are just going about their things and not as, “hey look, this is how we feed”. Since I know how the series goes on, it’s really hard to say does this bother the whole reading experience. I don’t think it’s bad, but it’s still worth mentioning. 

At least to me Rhage is the most kind and gentle of the brothers, in the end. And I guess that’s basically the idea with his beast: he’s forced to feel these hightened emotions, forced to wear himself out and to hulk out even though he’d really rather not. It’s a great contrast. And thinking his backstory, I think it really does say a lot about him as a character: that he is this good warrior who you can trust with your life, when you think how he’s forced himself to change. Hell, Rhage is not perfect, but not everyone would be so afraid of hurting others around him. I imagine some would embrace the beast and go on a bloody rampage. But Rhage is highly emotional and he pretty much follows his instincts, which is pretty obvious and can be sometimes a little off-putting: he makes a lot of fast choices and does some highly dubious decisions. It can’t be explained away, but it’s Rhage with all his faults. 

It gets me everytime I read this book, the way that Rhage just suddenly makes his world about Mary. It’s a little whiplash-inducing, but I think Rhage is looking for someone to hold onto, someone who can let him relax and who’ll hold him back. It’s somehow a little more bigger and deeper, with his quick instincts and fast decisions and what not.

I like Mary Luce a lot, because she’s head-strong and just a normal lady. When we meet her, she’s basically feeling kicked around by the world and that’s just a feeling that I can understand and I do like the way it’s portrayed: Mary’s feeling a little weak and there are moments when we see her crumbling and doubting herself. I like that, especially when she stubbornly moves on. I think she’s a very stubborn person: she’s decided she’ll survive and so she bloody will. And she doesn’t like leaning on others, because her mother’s seemingly useless faith. 

But she’s also a person who likes doing stuff to others, because she hates seeing people - especially those close to her - in pain. This combination of stubborn survival and the need to take care of others is not only interesting, but she’s such a good person. And I also think that that hatred of seeing people hurt is what makes her open up to Rhage at first. And the fact that, you know, he’s incredibly hot and that he seems to care for her honestly and she hasn’t had a lot of that. 

And parts of those are the reasons why I like these two together so much. They’re maybe not so obviously a good couple as Wrath and Beth are - with them we basically see this connection just happening the moment they meet. They meet and zap! they have this chemistry. With Rhage and Mary, you have these two people, who both feel like the world’s kicked them about a lot and are just waiting for that final hit. They’re both stubborn as shit, but then, Rhage is more emotional and Mary is more reserved with her feelings. They’re two people, who are the same in some ways, but then where they are different, they compliment each other. And I love it how they begin to see that in each other throughout the book.  

Okay, so what most grates me about this books is definitely the way that Rhage introduces and tries to get to know Mary. It does fit his character as the ladies man who’s used to women falling for him - but that’s just it. He’s used to women doing what he wants, he expects them to do this for him. And he is so very pushy! And Rhage is generally a good guy, gentle and caring so it’s a horror to see him act like every other douchebag. I love Lover Eternal for many reasons - Mary and Rhage’s dynamics are awesome - but I don’t how to tell you about this. It sucks but we love him anyway? I feel like by saying that I’m saying it’s okay when men try to do it in real life. 

Lover Eternal introduces some of the main players in the next books. I’m not referring to the introductionary thing I’ve been talking about, but here, as I’ve read this before, the game has already begun. We start to see these characters as who they really are but we don’t that yet. Some new characters are introduced and we’re given hints about them, too. Ward uses foreshadowing quite a lot, you see pieces of important things in earlier books. It’s not very obvious, but you can sort of see that they could be important. 

Also, with  Lover Eternal begins the tradition of A) the next books heroine and hero meeting - this doesn’t always happen, but more often than you’d think, the next couple is shown interacting. But, there could be two couples meeting and one would be in the next book and the other in the book after that. Ward can be sneaky. B) the book’s title being worked into the dialogue. Now, some hate this but I’m a secret fan. It can be rather obvious and silly, but with these titles being rather easy for a books like these, they’re not weird in the conversation. I just like them and they’re not big moments if you don’t. 

Before I end this, I have to say something about John Matthew. He’s first introduced in this book and while I’m not saying he or his storyline are perfect, he’s pretty damn awesome. And his story is heart-wrenching. I think he begins another important side to the series and I adore this book especially for introducing him. I truly want to say more, but that would be too spoiler-y. Just keep an eye on him!

Final thoughts: Lover Eternal definitely picks up the speed from the previous one and introduces even more delicious characters. Rhage and Mary have a sort of tragic-turned-lovestory -thing going on and Ward handles it perfectly. In this one we really see the Brothers as males who live and fight together and who would die for each other -it’s one of my personal favorites. And of course, there’s John Matthew, quite possibly the best character ever.