Lord of Rage (Royal House of Shadows, #2)

Aug 15, 2011 UniquelyMoi *Dhestiny* BlithelyBookish rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-stars, series-royal-house-of-shadows, reviewed-for-netgalley, reviewed-by-me, author-jill-monroe, fantasy-berserkers, fantasy-magic, revenge-for-murder, ebook-own-have-read, blogged-at-blithely-bookish, 3-5-stars

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who only really lived when she dreamed. Then one day she woke up surrounded by three glowering bears. With patience and love she tamed the fiercest, and with a kiss transformed the beast into a prince.

Jill Monroe takes pen in hand (or fingers to keyboard) to bring us the second installment of the Royal House of Shadows series, Lord of Rage. This is the story of Princess Breena of Elden, and Osborn, the oldest of three Berserker brothers. If you rea...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Ren rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-netgalley, sizzling-summer-reading-challenge, reviewed, 4-stars, e-books, romantic-or-couple-cover

e-ARC provided by Net-galley

4 stars

#2 in Royal of Shadows series

Brenna is the only princess of Elden Kingdom, and her parent already arranged a marriage for her, even she doesn't want it. But when Blood Sorcerer attack Elden, she must flee and escape, then gather force to once again take over Elden from the enemy. With her parent's last help and dying wish, Brenna had teleported to the land of the Beserker..

Osborn is beserker, who make bear spirit as his power. When he's first reach his beserke...more

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Oct 20, 2011 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: request-netgalley, best-of-2011

3.5
The Royal House of Shadows continues with this second installment from author Jill Monroe. The series is a collaboration by four authors with one continuing story arc following the four royal heirs of Elden in a world of magic parallel to ours. When the evil Blood Sorcerer attacks the kingdom of Elden and kills the king and queen, they cast one last spell sending each of their children away from the castle and instilling in them the need of survival and vengeance. Each novel follows one of th...more 3.5
The Royal House of Shadows continues with this second installment from author Jill Monroe. The series is a collaboration by four authors with one continuing story arc following the four royal heirs of Elden in a world of magic parallel to ours. When the evil Blood Sorcerer attacks the kingdom of Elden and kills the king and queen, they cast one last spell sending each of their children away from the castle and instilling in them the need of survival and vengeance. Each novel follows one of those royal heirs; in the first one we met the crown prince Nicolai, now we are introduced to the princess Breena.

After witnessing the death of her parents and her home overrun by vile creatures Breena is cast out from it and into a forest. Missing pieces if her memory, all Breena knows is that she must survive and then seek vengeance for the murder of her parents. Bruised, cold and hunger, Breena comes upon a cottage in a clearing where she finds a hot meal, unsteady furniture and a nice big bed to rest in. Unknown to Breena though, the cottage’s owner is the man from her dreams and a fierce Berserker warrior, one of the last of his kind.
Osborn is a warrior with the spirit of a bear in him. Living on sacred land and protecting the last two people in his family he has been biding his time for his vengeance against the people that decimated his clan. Finding the women from Osborn’s dreams sleeping in his bed he feels the first bit of happiness in a long time, but when she wakes expecting him to be her warrior and protect her while rescuing her brothers and taking back her castle, Osborn knows that she must leave for he set down his sword long ago. Stubbornly Breena sticks around though and the more time Osborn spends with her, the less he wants her to leave. But when he finds out that Breena is from the land that attacked and murdered his family, can Osborn set aside his vengeance for love?

Lord of Rage was a great addition to the Royal House of Shadows series and flowed exceedingly well. I haven’t read anything from Jill Monroe until now and I really enjoyed her writing style. The characters of Breena and Osborn were captivating and Osborn’s two younger brothers added a bit of humor and fun into the storyline.
The story is loosely based on the fairy tale of Goldilocks and the three bears, which was easy to pick up on and added a nice element to the story to look for. The world itself was pretty well built up from the first novel by Gena Showalter, Lord of the Vampires, so it was comfortable delving into it again and didn’t raise the questions the first novel did while reading. I really liked the relationship between Breena and Osborn, and each character individually.

Breena started as a pampered princess who never left the castle walls but when she is thrust, alone, into the wilderness instead of breaking down she fights through it hunting for food and seeking shelter. When she meets the bear of a warrior, Osborn, she doesn’t let him intimidate her and actually persuades him to teach her fighting skills of her own so that she can protect herself better in the future. She is willing to learn and improve herself to protect the ones she loves. I really respected her tenacity and strength.
Osborn was a man in a rut, stuck in the past but unwilling to face it. Living day to day, staying to his lands and protecting his brothers from harm. But when he realizes (with a little help from Breena) that his brothers have suffered because of this and know nothing of their family’s history, Osborn steps up and takes care of things. Same when it comes to Breena; Osborn starts off kind of gruff but it’s because he feels that he is unworthy of her and also doesn’t want to bring danger to his brothers, they have lived through enough.
They’re relationship is a slow build, definitely not as sexual as Lord of the Vampires, but more meaningful because they took time to get to know each other and each other’s pasts before jumping in the sack. Yes, there was an intense attraction and mucho sexual tension but they didn’t give into it until it meant more than just lust.

That being said, the book itself was somewhat blah. I’m not sure if that was because it lacked a lot of action or because it moved at a slower pace. My biggest peeve was the time line though, it really confused me in respect to the first novel in this series, Lord of the Vampires, and throughout the entire book I kept trying to put together the time in correspondence to the first novel. I think the sequence in which the books were released should have been changed but maybe by book #3 it will make sense. =) I’m looking forward to the next two novels in the series and think that paranormal romance fans would enjoy this one, even if they didn't care for the first novel.
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Sep 05, 2011 Steffi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, berserker, witches, net-galley

3.5 stars

Lord of Rage is the second installment in the Royal House of Shadows Series. This time Jill Monroe is telling the story of Princess Breena of Elden. I enjoyed the first book (Lord of the Vampires) of the series very much but the problems I had with it came up in Lord of Rage as well.

Like Nicolai in Lord of the Vampires, Princess Breena is trying to find her way back to the Kingdom of Elden to avenge her parents' death and take back the throne with her siblings from the Blood Sorcerer....more 3.5 stars

Lord of Rage is the second installment in the Royal House of Shadows Series. This time Jill Monroe is telling the story of Princess Breena of Elden. I enjoyed the first book (Lord of the Vampires) of the series very much but the problems I had with it came up in Lord of Rage as well.

Like Nicolai in Lord of the Vampires, Princess Breena is trying to find her way back to the Kingdom of Elden to avenge her parents' death and take back the throne with her siblings from the Blood Sorcerer. Before she can do that, she first has to get her memories back and gather strength to find her people. Wandering around the forest, Breena comes upon a wooden cottage. It turns out the cottage is inhabited by the man, Breen has been dreaming about for a very long time, and his two younger brothers. Osborn’s world changed rapidly when his village was attacked and his parents both died. He could barely save his brothers and they are the last three remaining Ursan Warriors.

The story unravels from there with Breena asking Osborn for help. Even though he knows, that Breena is the mystery woman from his dreams, he is wary of her and doesn’t trust her at first. Slowly, they begin to grow closer and trust each other. As with the first book, I greatly enjoyed the paranormal world. My problem with Lord of Rage was mainly my dislike of Osborn. Personally, I couldn’t get myself to like him and often found him rude and gruff. Also, I was a bit confused by the time difference between Breena and Nicolai's story. I heard that this will be explained in book 4 ( Lord of the Abyss), though. What I really enjoyed was Jill Monroe’s voice and her writing style. I will definitely be checking out more books by her.

The next book in the series is Lord of the Wolfyn, Dayn’s story. I’m especially anxious to read Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh.

Lord of the Abyss Series:
1. Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter
2. Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe
3. Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Andersen
4. Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh

Orginally reviewed at www.bookworldtravels.blogspot.com (less)

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Jun 12, 2013 Lynsey (The Demon Librarian) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: magic-tastic, shifter-ific

Being the optimistic sort that I am, I was thinking I couldn't possibly hate this any more than I did the first one.

And guess what? I didn't!

It was a much better quality of writing and of plot and I didn't want to stab the characters in the eye with a spoon, which is always a bonus.

One thing I completely failed to even realise whilst hating on the first book in this series, is that these books are actually supposed to be a retelling of a classic story/fairy tale- this one being Goldilocks and t...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, harlequin-nocturne, go-berserk-on-me, bewitch-me, royal-house-of-shadows, virgin-no-more, royalty

Ok, I found this installment in the Royal House of Shadows series much better! The first in this series was (unfortunately, because I usually love Showalter's writing) a bit of a let down, but I found that I enjoyed Jill Monroe's take on Goldilocks and the Three Bears (especially since the bear who is just right is a yummy alpha Berserker!).
This story focuses on Princess Breena, one of the heirs to the kingdom of Elden, who's lived a rather sheltered life, has yet to really come into her powers,...more

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Sep 20, 2011 LethalLovely~I'll Be Your River rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, on-kindle, arcs, reviews

Lord of Rage is the second book in the 4-part “Royal House of Shadows” series by Jill Monroe, Gena Showalter, Jessica Andersen and Nalini Singh. From reading the blurb, Lord of Rage appears to be inspired by “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” As a lover of fairy tales and fairy tales retold, I was very excited to read this book about Princess Breena and the Ursa warrior, Osborn. Unfortunately, Lord of Rage did not live up to my expectations.

First, the good. I enjoyed learning the lore about the U...more Lord of Rage is the second book in the 4-part “Royal House of Shadows” series by Jill Monroe, Gena Showalter, Jessica Andersen and Nalini Singh. From reading the blurb, Lord of Rage appears to be inspired by “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” As a lover of fairy tales and fairy tales retold, I was very excited to read this book about Princess Breena and the Ursa warrior, Osborn. Unfortunately, Lord of Rage did not live up to my expectations.

First, the good. I enjoyed learning the lore about the Ursans and how they embodied the revered bears. The respect they showed towards the bears after battling to the death was particularly touching. I also enjoyed the scenes with Osborn’s little brothers, Bernt and Torben. It’s easy to create child characters as fodder for the hero and heroine and I’ve seen it happen too many times to count. But in Lord of Rage, you get a feel for Bernt and Torben’s personalities, instead of them just being the little brothers cast to make Osborn look good. I would have liked to learn more about them. I also enjoyed the intimate scenes between Breena and Osborn. Osborn has the strength and instincts of a bear, so of course he went completely animalistic on her. That scene against the tree in the woods? Let’s just say that I crossed and uncrossed my legs so many times in class when I was reading that scene that my instructor asked me if I had to use the bathroom.

On to the not so good. Breena was a complete damsel in distress. She referred to Osborn as her warrior on several occasions and would’ve liked nothing more than for him to help her save her kingdom and avenge her parents. It got to the point that she came off as extremely selfish for wanting him to put his brothers and his own life in jeopardy because she needed someone to kick ass and take names. Not to mention, I personally enjoy heroines who save themselves instead of waiting for the hero to chop the wood and bring home the bacon. While it’s true that Breena became more independent as the story progressed (Osborn taught her how to sword fight and Breena learned how to use her magic) I still expected her to swoon over a broken nail. There was so much she could’ve done to prove that she was a badass heroine worthy of the masculine and powerful Osborn, but she fell short. She was definitely not the kind of heroine I go for and only tolerate in old school bodice rippers.

I also didn’t enjoy how cranky Osborn was for most of this book. I get it. Bears are grouchy. Osborn has lots of guilt from a devastation is his past. But was it really necessary for him to act like such an ass? It made it very hard for me to find anything redeeming about his character in terms of personality. Yeah, he’s hot. But I find my BOB to be pretty damn hot as well-and he doesn’t come with chip on his shoulder.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, this book wasn’t anything special. Nothing really stood out to make me have a bookgasm. Lord of Rage was enjoyable but it’s not a book I’d put on my keeper shelf. Then again, there’s something to be said about mediocrity. I’d rather read a book that was okay than one that made me want to drink bleach and this book definitely was not that.(less)

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Sep 03, 2011 Lady Jaye rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, dark-or-gritty-or-raw, magic, romance-paranormal, really-liked-it, series-royal-house-of-shadows, read-in-2011, stars-3

Lord of Rage is the second installment of the Royal House of Shadows continuity quartet/series, and my first book by Jill Monroe. This is the story of Breena, the second born, Princess of Elden. As with Nicolai she is filled with the thirst for survival and vengeance that their parents instilled in them before their deaths; she also wakes up in a strange place, with a hazy memory. She stumbles on for awhile and comes to a hut in woods, which, unbeknownst to her, belonged to the berserker Osborn,...more Lord of Rage is the second installment of the Royal House of Shadows continuity quartet/series, and my first book by Jill Monroe. This is the story of Breena, the second born, Princess of Elden. As with Nicolai she is filled with the thirst for survival and vengeance that their parents instilled in them before their deaths; she also wakes up in a strange place, with a hazy memory. She stumbles on for awhile and comes to a hut in woods, which, unbeknownst to her, belonged to the berserker Osborn, and his two younger brothers. Jill Monroe modeled her story after Goldilocks, and unlike with the first installment, I had no trouble remembering. Some of the scenes were classic Goldilocks, and they made me laugh.

Osborn is a berserker, the last of them, because his entire family and village were destroyed by vampires, save for his two brothers. He ekes out a living for them as a mercenary until he can't take it anymore, and flees to the woods (I am still not sure where/how the woods is in the mythology. Is it outside of time or just a secluded woods? I dunno) - and their hut is what Breena comes across.

Osborn knows Breena as the seductive girl who invades his dreams at night, and Breena knows Osborn as the warrior who she goes to in her dreams at night. Now that she's found him, she wants him to help her in her quest for vengeance.

I am still loving the mythology that has been created for this world, and I also enjoyed Ms. Monroe's storytelling. I was always present in the story, following the journey of the characters.

Three niggling issues -

1. The characters. I felt that for a good part of the book, Breena was a user. She just wanted someone to further her own ends, and nothing more. It's funny, since Nicolai, in the first book, did the same thing to Jane. But the difference as soon as Nicolai realized that Jane was a person, he felt conflicted baout what he had to do. Breena - I didn't get that feeling from her, she was only selfish. So I do not like her as much as I could have. I also felt that Osborn (fitting name for a berserker, lol) was not as honorable a character as he might have been. I hated (view spoiler)

2.Breena's background was a bit confusing to me. From the parents Nicolai remembered, I found it hard to believe that these were the same parents who'd raise their daughter only as a princess to be married off. But then, double standards when it comes to sons and daughters is fairly common, so I guess it makes sense. But I still get the feeling that it was out of character for her parents as well as the world. Being raised as a dainty princess just did not fit right.

3. The continuity is kinda off. I felt the same with the previous book, but it did not bother me as much, I guess, because it was the first book. I can't figure out the timeline..or the ages of the royal kids. Were they all caught in a timewarp? I don't know. I can't tell. It's really confusing.

That being said, I really enjoyed the book. I liked watching Osborn and Breena fall in loved. Ms. Monroe has created another winner. On to the third!

*I received this ebook/eARC free from Netgalley; it had no influence on my rating/review*(less)

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Sep 25, 2011 Ana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: zz-read-in-2011, paranormal, zz-netgalley, silhouette-nocturne

Princess Breena had been dreaming of her warrior lover when she was ripped from her Elden castle and thrown into a strange, dangerous realm. Lost and alone, she prayed for survival and vengeance for her stolen kingdom. She found both in a woodland cottage…in a dark bear of a man.

The golden-haired beauty had eaten his food and slept in his bed when Osborn found her. Though he wanted to awaken his virgin princess to carnal pleasures, Breena wanted more—including his warrior skills. Skills the onc

...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Victoria Danann rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I was in L.A. at the Romance Writers of America conference a couple of weeks ago, I met with Tara Gavin of Harlequin Nocturne. Last year she put together a concept project and asked if I had read it. I was excited about the idea because it’s so innovative. Gavin assembled four PNR authors to collaborate on a “Royal House of Shadows” series of fairytales retold.

Each book begins with…

Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scatter

...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Virginia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Princess Breeda of Elden is awakened one night to find that her parents have been murdered by the Blood Sorcerer and watches as, with their dying breaths and the last of their magic, they send her from the palace with the consuming need to survive and avenge. She awakens without magic and with her memories incomplete in an unknown wood. After a few days she finds a cottage, where she helps herself to porridge and collapses in a bed. When she wakes up, she is surrounded by three men - one of whom...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Merissa Sheppard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lord of Rage is based on the tale of Goldilocks and is the tale of Nicolai's younger sister Breena. Raised as a princess Breena always knew it would be her duty to marry a man chosen by her father to make an alliance between kingdoms. Everything changes when Elden comes under attack and her parents are killed by the blood sorcerer. On their death beds the king and queen used the last of their magic to send their 4 children to safety. Breena finds herself alone in the forest - lost, terrified and...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Amyra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

Jill Monroe prosegue la storia da dove Gena Showalter l’aveva lasciata, raccontandoci la storia dell’unica erede donna, Breena.

Quando il Blood Sorcerer decise di attaccare Elden, con le ultime forze i sovrani morenti decisero di salvare i quattro figli, trasportandoli con la loro magia fuori dal regno, ma riempiendoli di un incontrollabile desiderio di vedere vendicato il loro bel regno.

La principessa Breena stava sognando il suo amante guerriero quando l’incantesimo dei genitori la strappa dal...more Jill Monroe prosegue la storia da dove Gena Showalter l’aveva lasciata, raccontandoci la storia dell’unica erede donna, Breena.

Quando il Blood Sorcerer decise di attaccare Elden, con le ultime forze i sovrani morenti decisero di salvare i quattro figli, trasportandoli con la loro magia fuori dal regno, ma riempiendoli di un incontrollabile desiderio di vedere vendicato il loro bel regno.

La principessa Breena stava sognando il suo amante guerriero quando l’incantesimo dei genitori la strappa dal castello di Elden e la trasporta in una foresta sconosciuta. Sola, senza sapere dove sia capitata, si ritrova a pregare per la propria sopravvivenza e la rivendicazione del suo regno perduto. Entrambe saranno esaudite in un cottage di legno…e in un uomo.

Quando Osborn rientra in casa, trova una bellezza bionda addormentata nel suo letto. Non solo, ha anche mangiato tutto il suo cibo! Ma, nonostante la passione infuocante che scatta tra di loro, Breena non vuole solo il suo corpo, vuole la sua leggendaria abilità di guerriero. Abilità che questo mercenario ha messo da parte da lungo tempo. Osborn ha una scelta: rischiare la sua vita o negare alla sua principessa il tanto agognato finale da favola.

Inizio col dire che ero semplicemente incantata nel riscoprire in questa trama la fiaba “Riccioli D’oro e i Tre Orsi” che mi leggeva mia nonna da piccola! Ho sempre amato questa storia e vederla “modernizzata” in questo romance è stato veramente magnifico.

Altro aspetto che ho apprezzato molto è il personaggio di Breena: era stata cresciuta per essere la perfetta principessa, silenziosa, invisibile, virginea; perfetta per un accordo matrimoniale politico. A venticinque anni Breena sa che questo sarà il suo destino e lo accetta, anche se quando si guarda allo specchio non si riconosce. Da tappetino sottomesso Breena riscopre se stessa e diventa la leonessa mean to be con Osborn, impugnando la spada e affrontando un duro training per diventare guerriero. Insomma, al bando i vestiti pieni di fronzoli e sì a spada e corazza! Ho amato questa sua presa di coscienza, finalmente una donna che capisce che bisogna sporcarsi le mani per ottenere quello che si vuole e che non usa semplicemente il suo bel faccino per manipolare l’uomo di turno a fare il lavoro sporco per lei.

Osborn a confronto impallidisce, mi sembra troppo forzato, sempre rigido, e odiavo i suoi continui cambi d’opinione. Prima vuole Breena, poi la manda via, poi non è contento e la rivuole: mi faceva venire il mal di testa! Alla fine mi sono ritrovata a urlargli: “deciditi!”. Ovviamente, lui dal basso del suo ebook non mi ha sentito, pazienza, l’importante è che alla fine abbia fatto la scelta giusta. Ammetto, però, che se si fosse comportato da eroe, con corazza splendente e cavallo bianco annesso, sarebbe sembrato troppo finto. Probabilmente sono anche la sua indecisione e i suoi difetti che lo fanno sentire più “vero”.

Come immaginavo le premesse col primo libro erano buone, anche se male esposte, e devo ammetterlo, questa scrittrice praticamente sconosciuta ha surclassato la nostra cara Gena Showalter. Questa storia si fa sempre più interessante! Un romanzo che sì, mi è piaciuto, che consiglio, e che mi ha lasciato un sorriso stampato in faccia. Nota di merito anche alla copertina, niente male. Vedremo ora come proseguirà la trama con il fratello Dayn, sperando che la Andersen, essendo una scrittrice più rodata, sia in grado di mantenere questa nuova qualità di trama e di stile.(less)

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Mar 11, 2012 Barb Lie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jill Monroe’s “Lord of Rage”, is the second book of the Royal House of Shadows series. In the first book of this series, the story was about Nicolai, the oldest brother; in “Lord of Rage”, Breena, Nicolai’s sister, is the heroine of this story.

Princess Breena, has the power to be in the dreams of others. She has been having sexual dreams of a mystery warrior. When she is swept away from her home in Elden into a strange land, she finds herself in Ursan, a bear territory. With her memory a bit fu...more Jill Monroe’s “Lord of Rage”, is the second book of the Royal House of Shadows series. In the first book of this series, the story was about Nicolai, the oldest brother; in “Lord of Rage”, Breena, Nicolai’s sister, is the heroine of this story.

Princess Breena, has the power to be in the dreams of others. She has been having sexual dreams of a mystery warrior. When she is swept away from her home in Elden into a strange land, she finds herself in Ursan, a bear territory. With her memory a bit fuzzy, she only remembers something terrible happening to her family in the castle. As we know from the previous book, Breena was magically sent away for safety, by her dying mother, the Queen. She does feel the need for vengeance that was instilled in her by her dying father, the King of Elden. She knows the danger, but is determined to find help to allow her to go back and help her family and the people of Elden.

While alone in this strange land, Breena finds her way to a cottage, where she will meet her mystery warrior…Osborn. She recognizes him from her dream, as he also recognizes her. But Osborne is a berserker, unbeknownst to Breena. His people were massacred years ago, and he is bringing up his two younger brothers, who eventually will also be berserkers. Osborn too is bent on revenge against those that killed his family…..the people of Elden. Of course, Osborne doesn’t know Breena is the princess of Elden, and she doesn’t know anything about Osborn’s need of revenge.

As the story continues, though they both have had their sexual dreams for awhile, they are now very real in person, they find themselves falling love. But each knows nothing can happen, as they have their own agendas. But throughout the story, which is very steamy at times, Osborne tends to be irritable a lot, nothing in his life has been good, and he can’t handle his attraction to Breena. He feels he is not good enough for her, as he can tell she comes from a better life. Breena does not make it easy for Osborne, as she wants him to make love to her, as she is still a virgin, and Osborne has no control of his passion for her.

The berserker part was interesting, and Osborn tries to control his rage, which channels his bear and makes him a strong and powerful warrior. The two younger brothers, Bernt and Torben, having lived a rough life, come to care about Breena, and they don’t want her to leave. She becomes close to them. Osborn begins to train Breena to fight like a warrior to protect herself.

Soon Breena begins to remember how her parents died, as they were killed by the “Blood Sorcerer”. She knows she must go back to Elden soon, and she wants Osborne to come with her to help her. Soon though, Osborne finds out accidently that the woman he is falling for is indeed a princess from his hated Elden. His berserker rage takes over, and he moves to threaten to hurt her, now that she is his enemy. The warrior skills that she learned from him, allows her to surprise him, and she is able to calm him down and explain why Elden cannot be responsible for his family’s death. Osborne realizes she is right, and he too will want revenge against the true enemy…the Blood Sorcerer, who had his family killed and made it look like the people of Elden. So Breena finally gets her warrior to want to help her find her brothers, and go back to Elden.

There is an exciting ending, and their love blossoms. It was a good story and I enjoyed it. Since all four books in this series are fairytale takeoffs, this book was Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I look forward to the story continuing with one of the other brothers, in Jessica Andersen’s Lord of the Wolfyn.

Barb
The Reading Cafe
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Feb 13, 2012 Vannessa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-books, netgalley-books, paranormal-romance-adult

This is the second book in the Royal House of Shadows series and focusses on Brenna, the princess of Elden. She wakes up after being magically whisked away from the scene of her parents' gruesome demise with an urge to follow a certain path. She knows she must survive and take revenge but at the moment she's not sure why and against whom she must take this revenge. Onwards she plods through a forest, clearly marked against intruders by the bare skulls hanging up. She stumbles across a wooden cot...more This is the second book in the Royal House of Shadows series and focusses on Brenna, the princess of Elden. She wakes up after being magically whisked away from the scene of her parents' gruesome demise with an urge to follow a certain path. She knows she must survive and take revenge but at the moment she's not sure why and against whom she must take this revenge. Onwards she plods through a forest, clearly marked against intruders by the bare skulls hanging up. She stumbles across a wooden cottage and the scene that follows made me chuckle - it was Goldilocks and the Three Bears paranormal style. She enters the unlocked cottage, eats some oat porridge, breaks a chair and then goes to sleep in one of the beds. When she is awoken a while later, the gruff, angry man is the man of her dreams, literally. She has been dreaming of this warrior and the passion between them for a while now, but he is nothing like the man in her dreams. He also recognises her as the woman who has been invading his dreams and whilst he feels an attraction towards her, does not want to get involved with her at all.

Osborn is the oldest of 3 brothers, the only survivors from an slaughter on his village by whom he believes were soldiers/vampires from Elden. He is a berserker, following a ritual of manhood at the age of 15 in which he had to kill a bear and join their spirits together. He can call on his Ber when wearing the pelt of the bear he killed and develops an almost uncontrollable rage and strength, against which no-one will survive. Osborn's 2 little brothers were cute. They needed a big sister or mother figure in their lives and were so desperate for Brenna to stay even when Osborn made it clear that she should leave.

There is a great attraction between Brenna and Osborn right from the minute they meet. He believes she only wants him for his berserker power and the revenge she wants to take. She believes that he is her warrior, the man in her dreams who would protect her at all costs. Their relationship is not quite a smooth ride and even at the very end, I thought Osborn was going to leave her for good.

Brenna came across as a typical "princess". She only wanted Osborn to fight for her against those who killed her parents and didn't really care about him and his brothers initially. It was obvious she had a very good upbringing (she didn't know how to cook for example, something in this world, women would have done if they had to) and her selfishness irritated me a bit at the beginning. She did eventually start becoming more independent. Her own magical powers developed a bit, although we didn't see a great deal of that and she did learn how to fight with a sword, taking many hours practising and training physically. But ultimately Osborn, her warrior, had to save her!

Osborn was an angry man! Yes he had to go through 2 life changing events in the same day - his Bärenjagd (the bear killing ritual) and the battle in his village which cost him the lives of his parents. Not something I can imagine was an easy thing to do. He also had to bring up his two brothers on his own and became an assassin to help feed them, but boy he could have smiled some times! With Brenna's help, he realised that he had sheltered his brothers too much and was not preparing them to become the men and Berserkers they have be.

I was also a little confused to the timing of this book. Nikolai, in the first book and Brenna's brother, had been kept in the witches' palace for 20 years as time moves differently there, but this one seemed to take place immediately after Brenna's teleportation. Not sure how all the books will merge together or even if they will. I hope so! Would be good to see all 4 siblings back together, taking on the Blood sorcerer.

This book was ok. I liked it, but didn't think it was great. I think because it was so short the relationship between Brenna and Osborn was developed fully and the characters themselves were not fully developed either. I will be reading the rest of this series as I want to find out about the other 2 brothers from the kingdom of Elden - Dayn and Micah.

I would like to thank the publishers for providing this ARC free through Net Galley.(less)

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Jan 02, 2012 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read

Requested on NetGalley
Overall Rating 3.50
Story Rating 3.50
Character Rating 3.50

Note: This is the second in the Royal House of Shadows series.

What I Loved: I kind of like the wicked cool twist on two different childhood stories that I loved: Beauty and the Beast and Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. Jill did a wonderful job of updating them and making them work for this section of the Royal House of Shadows storyline.

What I Liked: I really liked Brenna and Osborne! I thought they fit well together and...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, non-erotic, paranormal, science-fiction-fantasy

Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

I like this tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears much better than the original. There is a lot of fun in finding out what really happens after the girl is discovered sleeping in the bed than I could have imagined. Once again, Ms. Monroe entertains and thrills readers with her wit, clever writing and yummy heroes.

In this case, Goldilocks is Breena, the only princess of Elden. My favorite thing about her character is her growth. In t...more Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

I like this tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears much better than the original. There is a lot of fun in finding out what really happens after the girl is discovered sleeping in the bed than I could have imagined. Once again, Ms. Monroe entertains and thrills readers with her wit, clever writing and yummy heroes.

In this case, Goldilocks is Breena, the only princess of Elden. My favorite thing about her character is her growth. In the beginning she’s a dutiful daughter but the author gave hints that there’s more of an adventurous spirit trapped inside her. Good thing too because by a desperate act of magic, Breena was tossed to safety, away from all the horror and death. She might have been physically safe but the heroine discovered that her emotions and feelings were far from secure because she ended up meeting Osborn. Through him, and with him, she discovered more about the woman she really is and who she wants to be.

Osborn is a fascinating man. He’s a guy who needs saving and redemption. He’s done what he’s had to do in order to survive and protect the family he has left. He’s taken the role so seriously, that he’s buried deep all his own dreams and hopes and desires. He figures at this point, he’s not worthy of them and isn’t entitled to anything but vengeance. It made me want him to have his happily ever after. Ms. Monroe wrote with such feeling that his pain and yearning jumped off of the page. I cared for what happens to him. Osborn is a man who is due some happiness in his life. Even a reason to laugh out loud.

Watching Osborn and Breena fall in love was fun. So many challenges thwarted them and so many secrets needed to be revealed before they could realize their true destiny. And the author was quite clever. Just when I thought all would be well, Ms. Monroe surprised me with a clever twist that infused the story with a dramatic burst of action and heroics. A few loose ends get solved and a new destiny is forged. It was exciting storytelling.

Another fascinating aspect of this book is the sensual build-up. The author has Osborn and Breena each taking turns at seducing the other, and each scene grows hotter and hotter until I thought I’d burst if they didn’t finally experience the ultimate loving fireworks. Ms. Monroe did not disappoint. It was romantic, sexy and the part with the pelt left me fanning myself. I like Breena’s sense of physical adventure.

Lord of Rage is the second installment to the Royal House of Shadowsi series and it rocks. It also is a perfect standalone. There is no reason for a first time reader to wonder if they’ll get lost in the story arc. The tale is totally about Osborn and Breena and how they come together, fall in love, and when joined, become stronger than they thought possible. I was thoroughly entertained and Breena’s unique dilemma kept me glued to the pages. I didn’t stop reading until I’d turned the last page. The happily ever after was romantic and it fit with the characters’ needs. It also whetted my appetite for the next installment in the series.

Lord of Rage is sexy, delightful and has a great emotional punch that’s a knock-out. Fans of Ms. Monroe are in for another treat and readers of paranormal romances will find what they’re looking for – fun, chills, thrills and a growly good romance.

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Dec 22, 2011 Proserpine rated it 5 of 5 stars

I must admit that I liked this story even though I'm not really a fan of Goldilocks (Goldilocks and the Three Bears). One thing that troubled me a bit is the cover of this book seems to be a princess Breena just 16 or 18 in this story, by cons: the model seems to see in their late thirties ... Every time I read a passage Breena and the fact she is young I watched the coverage and I could not make a connection between the image of the book and the one I had of Breena. By cons, Osborn is entirely...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Marlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Goldilocks and the three bears was never this hot.

Lord of Rage is Jill Monroe's entry in the Royal House of Shadows multi-author series. The three bears in this story are brothers, and the Goldilocks is an exiled princess. A princess who learns to kick some serious ass. But otherwise, the fairy-tale thing totally works. With a slight dose of Snow White (mostly the dwarfs) added in for comic relief.

The Royal House of Shadows is the story of the fall of the house of Elden. The country is overthrow...more Goldilocks and the three bears was never this hot.

Lord of Rage is Jill Monroe's entry in the Royal House of Shadows multi-author series. The three bears in this story are brothers, and the Goldilocks is an exiled princess. A princess who learns to kick some serious ass. But otherwise, the fairy-tale thing totally works. With a slight dose of Snow White (mostly the dwarfs) added in for comic relief.

The Royal House of Shadows is the story of the fall of the house of Elden. The country is overthrown by a Blood Sorceror, and the last, desperate act of the King and Queen is to send their four children away from the carnage in the hopes that the princes, and one princess, might avenge their deaths. But the compulsions of royalty and parental love have different agendas. With the force of their dying breaths, and the force of their death spell, the royal pair's last spell compels their adult children to two almost diametrically opposed agendas. Their father's spell obligates them to revenge themselves on the Blood Sorcerer. Their mother's spell requires them to survive at all costs.

Breena has been a protected princess all of her life until the night that the Blood Sorceror invaded Elden. Now in her mid-20s, she has become restless and yearns for freedom from the restrictions that have bound and controlled her life. She should have married long ago, but her father has been saving her for the most advantageous political marriage. Her mother has promised her that her magic will come to her when she is married. Until the attack, her only magic was in the ability to walk in dreams, and the dreams she walks in are those of a warrior who may be real, or may be a construct of her imagination.

But during the attack, due the force of her parents' spell, she reaches out for the one person who can help her survive, and help her find vengeance--the warrior of her dreamscape. And finds herself in a deserted woodlands, far from home. After wandering for days, she practically stumbles into an empty cabin in the woods. It represents food, shelter, and a relatively safe place to rest.

When the residents of the cabin return, they find spilled food, a broken chair, and a blonde woman sleeping in one of the beds. The owners are the last of the Ursans, men who take on the spirit of the bear when they fight. They are berserkers. Or, at least one of them is. Osborn, the oldest, is a true berserker. His two brothers are too young. Their people were slaughtered before the boys could learn the Ursan tradition. But Osborn has kept them safe on Ursan land. "Goldilocks" has been found by the three bears, after she has eaten their "porridge", tried out their furniture, and is sleeping in one of their beds.

The boys want to keep Breena. They think she will cook and clean for them, not realizing that she has never done such things. Osborn wants to keep her, too, but for much more adult reasons. He has dreamed of her. Many, many nights. But he always thought she was a creature of his own fevered imagination. Breena wakes to find that her warrior is real, and very, very angry. Osborn thinks Breena has been manipulating him all along, especially when she asks for his help. He's been a mercenary. He gave up that life to take care of his brothers and to take care of the Ursan lands. He doesn't want to go back to being just a hired sword. Especially not for this woman who has invaded his dreams.

Escape Rating B+: I liked Lord of Rage even better than Lord of the Vampires, the first book in the series. The relationship between Breena and Osborn develops gradually--even though they've been dreaming about each other, dreams don't translate to instant knowledge. They have a lot of real-world issues to work through first. There's a big trust issue they need to get past, and the story shows them both working on it. Breena and Osborn earned their happy ending. We just won't know if they actually get one until the end of the whole series.(less)

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Dec 02, 2011 L.E.Olteano rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-review, reviewed, received-for-review

This was a very pleasant surprise! After reading book #1 of this series I had some doubts about it, but I kept an open mind and was curious enough to give this a try, and I'm very happy I did. I had a lot of fun reading this book, and I'd been missing out if I'd have given up on the series.

This was my first time reading Jill Monroe (scoff all you like :P), so I had no idea what to expect. It's the same for the other 2 books in the series, that I got from NetGalley and will read&review these...more This was a very pleasant surprise! After reading book #1 of this series I had some doubts about it, but I kept an open mind and was curious enough to give this a try, and I'm very happy I did. I had a lot of fun reading this book, and I'd been missing out if I'd have given up on the series.

This was my first time reading Jill Monroe (scoff all you like :P), so I had no idea what to expect. It's the same for the other 2 books in the series, that I got from NetGalley and will read&review these next few days. I will confess that I bought this one after I got the next 2 in the series from NG, so perhaps if I hadn't I wouldn't have decided to read them unless someone would have given them a good rep, lol.

I loved Breena, she was fun and she had great chemistry with the mighty Osborn. This was one of those cases when I love both of the characters in the main pair on their own, and even more so when they're interacting. I loved Osborn's brothers too, and his entire world and history endeared him to me greatly. I have a thing for berserker I think? I think this is the second book I read recently that featured them, the other being How to Worship a Goddess if I'm not mixing the jars by any chance, lol, and I liked the bear-element even more in this book.
Breena and Osborn had awesome chemistry, sort of explosive in fact, and I loved how intense and magnetic Osborn was as a character, sort of grouchy, big and strong, a really fun combination when in contact with the beautiful, well-mannered princess.

The plot was really engaging, but then again so was the plot of the first book in the series, Lord of the Vampires, only in this case the characters were charismatic and totally irresistible. The writing here was very well done without giving the impression it wanted to impress a certain state of mind upon you, you know? It was playful, fun, and there were some references that I had a lot of fun with, like the story of the 3 bears and Goldilocks, the intruder that eats from someone's plate, and sits on someone's chair and sleeps in someone's bed, you know? It was one of my favorite stories when I was a kid :D
And because it didn't feel like it was trying to create a steamy atmosphere, the story built to the lovely tension between Breena and Osborn in a natural and entertaining, engaging way. Of course, aside the qualities of the book itself, I think I was more receptive towards it because I had no expectations about the author's writing, or maybe I even had some low expectations because of the sort of disappointing experience with the frist book, so this one came in strong.

So I say you should totally read this if you like PNR, it was fun, it was a steamy romance with awesome characters - awesome entertainment!(less)

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Nov 28, 2011 Carla-Book Monster Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lord of the Vampires is the second book in the ROYAL HOUSE OF SHADOWS series. This series consists of 4 books written by 4 different authors. The first book "Lord of the Vampires" is written by Gena Showalter, the third book, "Lord of the Wolfyn" is written by Jessica Andersen and the fourth book which concludes the series, "Lord of the Abyss" is written by Nalini Singh.

The premise of the series is about an evil sorcerer that has killed the king and queen of the magical world, Elden. Before the...more Lord of the Vampires is the second book in the ROYAL HOUSE OF SHADOWS series. This series consists of 4 books written by 4 different authors. The first book "Lord of the Vampires" is written by Gena Showalter, the third book, "Lord of the Wolfyn" is written by Jessica Andersen and the fourth book which concludes the series, "Lord of the Abyss" is written by Nalini Singh.

The premise of the series is about an evil sorcerer that has killed the king and queen of the magical world, Elden. Before the King and Queen died, they used their combined magic to cast a spell upon their 4 children to save them. The king filled them with a burning need for vengeance; while the queen cast them from the castle to safety.

Breena is the second eldest child of the King and Queen of Elden. Being the only daughter and the princess of the castle, Breena lived a very sheltered life. She was protected from all of the violence and from men. Breena was to have an arranged marriage to a man of her father's choosing. The few things she knew of life outside the castle, she learned from her three brothers. Breena dreams of a warrior every night while she sleeps and she yearns to feel loved and touched by her warrior. After the spell her parents cast to save her and her brothers lives, Breena finds herself alone in the woods. She comes upon a cabin and goes inside to find shelter and food.

Osborn lives in solitary and trusts no one. Osborn is a berserker and he has the spirit of ber within him. He is raising his two younger brothers alone after his family and all of their village were slaughtered. Osborn and his brothers are now the last Berserkers know to exist and live in seclusion. The vampires that attacked his village wore the colors of Elden soldiers so Osborn hates everything and everyone from Elden and wants revenge. He dreams of a beautiful woman at night that makes him feel content and things he has never felt before. While out hunting one day, Osborn and his two brothers return home to find Breena, asleep in Osborn's bed. Osborn immediately realizes that this is the woman he's been dreaming of, and while he yearns for her, he does not trust her. He thinks Breena has manipulated his feelings in the dreams. Breena tells him what little she remembers of what happened to her and tells him she needs a warrior to help her reclaim her home. While Osborn wants to help her, he refuses to put his brothers lives on the line and bring danger to their doorstep.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Osborn and Breena. It was about Osborn letting himself trust what was happening between he and Breena. Breena struck a deal with Osborn for him to train her how to fight and protect herself since he was not willing to be her warrior. While Breena once lived the life of a sheltered princess, she became a true warrior princess. She fought to reclaim her memories and she fought to gain Osborn's love and trust, as well as kick some bad guy ass. Osborn was every bit the tortured hero. He had a hard time letting go of his painful past and seeing what could be between him and Breena. While they both wanted each other and felt a deep connection to the other, their relationship had a slow buildup.

Another part I loved about this book was Osborn's younger brothers. Osborn kept them sheltered and protected and did not like to speak of their family. They were two well mannered and sweet young men who were curious for any information or stories Osborn would give them about their people and their past. They loved having Breena around and they told Osborn they "wanted to keep her." Breena also taught Osborn to be more open with his brothers as the book went along and that he needed to teach them and train them in the way of the Berserkers.

This is my favorite book in the series so far. I cannot wait for Breena to finally be reunited with her three brothers and for the final showdown with the Blood Sorcerer to go down.
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Oct 19, 2011 Heather Book Savvy Babe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, paranormal-romance, review-on-blog

Lord of Rage is book 2 in the Royal House of Shadow series. In this series, 4 authors write 4 separate installments in 1 continuing story. The main storyline is that an evil blood sorcerer kills the King and Queen, who while dying try to protect their 4 children and cast contrasting spells over them. The contrasting spells are the need for vengeance and the need to keep survive. The spells send the children away from the castle, and each story of the series is about one of these children. Lord o...more Lord of Rage is book 2 in the Royal House of Shadow series. In this series, 4 authors write 4 separate installments in 1 continuing story. The main storyline is that an evil blood sorcerer kills the King and Queen, who while dying try to protect their 4 children and cast contrasting spells over them. The contrasting spells are the need for vengeance and the need to keep survive. The spells send the children away from the castle, and each story of the series is about one of these children. Lord of Rage is Breena's story.

Breena is a princess who is shockingly thrown away from home in terror. Her memory is fuzzy, but she knows that her family is in danger and she needs to find and kill whoever harmed her family. When Breena was cast away from her castle, she wound up in a seemingly deserted forest. She finds a small cabin, and out of desperation makes herself at home. Little did she know that the owner of the cottage is the warrior from her dreams, and a warrior who turns Berserker when he wears the skin of a bear. Osborn is the last of his kind, except for his 2 younger brothers, and he holds on to his rage and need for vengeance against those who killed off his clan. Osborn finds that Breena's clan may be responsible for killing his clan, and his need for vengeance clashes with his attraction to the Breena.

I really enjoyed this story, Lord of Rage has a Goldilocks and the three bears theme running through the story that is easy to spot, and really quite fun. Breena goes from being a very sheltered princess to a strong, determined woman. I like Osborn too, the story follows his character from when he becomes a Berserker to a lonely, angry man. When Breena comes into his life, she reminds Osborn of honor. Osborn's brothers added some light-hearted fun to the story, they were the other 2 bears in this story. I enjoyed how all the characters in Lord of Rage grew throughout the story, they all take in the new circumstances and they deal. Osborn, being a very stubborn bear, takes the longest to to change his thinking, but when he does, the story really gets strong.

I have not read too many stories involving Berserkers, and I have to say that I really enjoyed the berserker mythology in Lord of Rage. There is sort of a skin-walker meets supernatural warrior type of thing going on. It was very sad that the entire clan was wiped away, but that gave perspective to Osborn's situation and personality. The supernatural elements in this series are quite varied, from vampires, sorcerers, witches (such as Breena), and various others. The world is very intriguing and helped make Lord of Rage such an enjoyable read.

It seemed a bit odd that book 1, Lord of the Vampires takes place AFTER book 2, Lord of Rage. The time frames seem a little off, but then again, there are 2 more stories to go in the series. Lord of Rage sets up for the future books, and the goals of the children to kill the sorcerer who murdered the King and Queen. After reading Lord of Rage, I definitely want to continue reading the series. I am looking forward to reading book 3, Lord of the Wolfyn.

I received the e-ARC from Netgalley for review.(less)

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Oct 18, 2011 Melindeeloo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-romance

When her parents' death spell throws Princess Breena to safety, she ends up on Oberon's doorstep, and discovers her Dream Warrior in the flesh. Breena is sure that Oberon is destined to be her champion and help her gain revenge against the evil sorcerer who killed her parents and murdered or enslaved the people of her kingdom. Breena is a Dreamwalker who has lived for the passion that she and Oberon have shared in their dreams. While those dreams form an instant connection between the pair when...more When her parents' death spell throws Princess Breena to safety, she ends up on Oberon's doorstep, and discovers her Dream Warrior in the flesh. Breena is sure that Oberon is destined to be her champion and help her gain revenge against the evil sorcerer who killed her parents and murdered or enslaved the people of her kingdom. Breena is a Dreamwalker who has lived for the passion that she and Oberon have shared in their dreams. While those dreams form an instant connection between the pair when they finally meet, they also prove to be a double edged sword for Breena, for as much as Oberon desires her, he is equally resentful and suspicious of the nighttime trysts which have left him aching.

I don't think I have read anything by Monroe before, but I really really liked Lord of Rage, I would say probably even 4.5 stars worth. All of the books in this Royal House of Shadows four-author-four-book continuity have had a fairy tale for inspiration, but while the basic story here starts with Goldilocks and the three bears with the twist that leading man is a Berserker and has a mystical connection to a bear spirit, Monroe peppers her story with all kinds of fairy tale references which add an additional element of fun to the tale.

I liked that Oberon was just as fleshed out as Breena, his back story is interesting and Monroe does a really good job giving both of her characters some depth, and even with the dream connection – which adds a bit of steam early on – I like that Monroe backs off, develops their relationship, and gives Breena and Oberon obstacles to overcome in order to win their happily ever after.

On a side note, one thing that really struck about Breena's back story was the reality of being a princess: living only to make a match that will aid her kingdom, trying to be as quiet and unobjectionable as possible throughout her teen years so as not to close off any potential alliances, and being told that once she is safely wed she will at last get to be the person she was meant to be - I find the Disney sparkly gowned princess fantasy more appealing. But while sparkles are nice, there is nothing better than a princess who decides to rescue herself and I really liked that once Breena determines that Oberon isn't going to fight her battle for her, Brena sets out to become her own champion.

I read the four books in the Royal House of Shadows series completely out of order - the third one first, then part of the first one, then the last, and finally this one which was supposed to be second - but I don't think that dampened my enjoyment one iota. My only issue? Now I am having a hard time deciding which book I liked best, Lord of Rage or Nalini Singh's Lord of the Abyss, which I also really enjoyed. I think that Lord of Rage wins though because, unlike Lord of the Abyss which is the final book in the series, Monroe's second place story had the advantage of no expectations for a wrap up.

For readers who are wondering if they can pick and choose which of the Royal House of Shadows stories to read, all of the books have done a good enough restating the rules of the series, and haven't really relied on events in other books. So that they all work just fine as stand alone reads, in case you'd like to give one or two of these fun fairy tale inspired romances a try.(less)

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Oct 13, 2011 Larena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Princess Breena dreams of having a fairly tale love in her life with a warrior that haunts her dreams nightly. What she doesn’t count on is being ripped from her home when it is attacked. Now Breena has to find a way to survive the world that she has always been protected from and to find a way to get home and conquer the one that has taken her world and people over. Wandering and trying to find a safe place she comes across a cottage in the middle of a forest that just might offer her all that...more Princess Breena dreams of having a fairly tale love in her life with a warrior that haunts her dreams nightly. What she doesn’t count on is being ripped from her home when it is attacked. Now Breena has to find a way to survive the world that she has always been protected from and to find a way to get home and conquer the one that has taken her world and people over. Wandering and trying to find a safe place she comes across a cottage in the middle of a forest that just might offer her all that she is looking for and some things that she didn’t know she needed.

Osborn was a warrior and mercenary that gave up that life to live quietly in the forest with the simple pleasures he has there. Until the day Breena comes into his life and turns everything upside down and makes Osborn remember all that he is missing by cutting off the world around him. Now Osborn is going to have to decide if he wants to really start living again and give his princess the happy ever after she is looking for or doom them both to a life that is anything but happy.

Breena is determined that she isn’t going to be a helpless princess anymore and the only one that can teach her what she needs to know is Osborn now if she can just convince him of that. If Osborn wants to give his princess everything he feels she deserve he is going to have to help her learn to survive and fight the evil that is stalking her. Soon Osborn and Breena find that they only hope they have of surviving is go it together. They are also learning that the future they thought they wanted isn’t necessarily the one that is best one for them or now that they have met the one they truly do want. If they are to have a future together though they are going to have to find a way to conquer the evil that has taken over the land of Elden, Breena’s home.

This brings the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears to life in a way that isn’t the same fairy tale from childhood. The twist on this one makes the fairy tale fresh and will have the reader believing they are reading it for the very first time. This is the second story in a series of four books and while it can be read as a stand alone book it is greatly enhanced by reading the first book first. Readers won’t be disappointed in the series up to date and will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
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Sep 14, 2011 Aimee (Coffee Table Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I wasn't sure how this story would turn out. But I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the first book and the second was just as good. Breena was raised to be a gentle woman who would be married off for political reasons. I was glad to see she still had some life to her after her escape.

The only thing I'm not sure of, is the timeline. I'm not sure where this is in reference to the first book, but I have a feeling it comes into play later. The story of the berserkers was great. I felt bad for Osbor...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 *s

This is the second installment in the House of Shadows series, each of the four books wrtten by a different author but all revolving around the same plot - The King & Queen of Eldon have been killed, murdered by the Blood Sorcerer and their land and people claimed as his own. With their dying breath they used magic to scatter and erase the memories of their four children, the rightful heirs of Eldon. All the four have is a desire to live and to avenge what has happened to their kingdom...more 3.5 *s

This is the second installment in the House of Shadows series, each of the four books wrtten by a different author but all revolving around the same plot - The King & Queen of Eldon have been killed, murdered by the Blood Sorcerer and their land and people claimed as his own. With their dying breath they used magic to scatter and erase the memories of their four children, the rightful heirs of Eldon. All the four have is a desire to live and to avenge what has happened to their kingdom.

In this book we meet Breena, the princess of Eldon. Breena has magic, not as strong as her mothers but it will be. She can walk in and manipulate dreams often using this to get away from her duty and to be with her dream 'warrior' she doesnt know why she meets this strange man in her dreams but she knows he is the key to something, one day she is ripped from his vision when the castle is attacked and after seeing her parents killed awakens in a strange place with no memory of havin gotten there or what has happened apart from the fact that her parents are dead. She stumbles around until she happens upon a cottage and meets its owner, Osborn, her dream warrior. A man from a race of people long thought to have died out but it turns out Osborn and his 2 brothers are all thats left of them and worse still his village were wiped out by the soldiers of Eldon whom Osborn has sworn that he will not rest until all Eldons are dead ! Breena Thinks she has found her solution to avenge her parents and reclaim Eldon but will the princess get her happy ever after ?

I liked this book, another easy read meant to entertain and spoon feed me some hotness with a touch of adventure and danger. Its one of those books where you dont have to think to hard, perfect for a pick me up. The characters are likable, we have Breena . . a naive princess who loves stories and thinks she knows life through listening to others and watching them, thinking the most difficult thing she will ever face is marrying for duty. And Osborn who saw his entire village massacred and has harboured so much bitterness over the years, isolating himself and his brothers to protect them. A very primal man, truly at one with his spirit animal the bear. We see them working through their problems etc becoming better people, not just towards each other and its heart warming. When she stumbles upon his cottage there are heavy references to Goldilocks and the 3 bears which was amusing considering she really had stumbled into the home of 3 bears, warriors with spirit bears lol We get a glimpse into what is happening in Eldon too and that the danger is far from over. We've had Nickoli's story and now Breenas so I'm off to read number three . . I actually am looking forward to the conclusion and wondering whether we get four installments of each person and then a final showdown book or what . . .(less)

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Sep 05, 2011 Sarah Jordan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is Book #2 in a wonderful paranormal-romance-fairy-tale series called Royal House of Shadows. (To read my review of Lord of the Vampires, click here: http://sarahsbookshelves.blogspot.com...) .
Each book is the story of one of the four royal heirs of the Kingdom of Elden. Lord of Rage is Breena's story, the only princess of the four. Breena has been raised to be a gentle, innocent, ladylike princess. Although she adores her parents and brothers, she feels powerless. Her magic is weak compare...more This is Book #2 in a wonderful paranormal-romance-fairy-tale series called Royal House of Shadows. (To read my review of Lord of the Vampires, click here: http://sarahsbookshelves.blogspot.com...) .
Each book is the story of one of the four royal heirs of the Kingdom of Elden. Lord of Rage is Breena's story, the only princess of the four. Breena has been raised to be a gentle, innocent, ladylike princess. Although she adores her parents and brothers, she feels powerless. Her magic is weak compared to her mother's, and while her brothers are being trained to be powerful warriors and statesmen, she is being trained on the royal domestic life of a future queen. She has led a sheltered, cossetted life, and her only escape has been in her sleep, when she travels to the dreams of her warrior lover. One day her castle is attacked by the evil Blood Sorceror, and before her parents are murdered, she and her brothers are magically flung far away.

Breena finds herself in a strange land, with no magic and very little memory of how she has come to be wandering in this wilderness. After days of wandering through the woods, she is exhausted, hungry, and bloody from her trek. She sees a cottage and wanders in, and here we have a fun nod to the classic fairy tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The cottage is the home of Osborne, her dream warrior, and his two younger brothers. Osborne is the last of a great line of warriors known as Berserkers (love the Norse legend nod as well!), and he has sworn revenge on the killers that slaughtered his people. Breena and Osborne soon realize that they have been dream lovers, and while Breena is delighted to find the reality even fiercer and sexier than the dream, Osborne feels used, believing she wants him for his mercenary skills to avenge her family. Most of the story is the slow building of trust and sexual tension between them. The author is a master at creating sexual tension, as she brings them together and then, just as things are about to get even hotter, Osborne will get an attack of conscience (Breena is a virgin princess, after all), or anger (does she love him or want to use his him?) and back off.

But love, lust and good solid warrior training conquer all. Breena's magic grows as she recovers her memories, and her loving presence helps Osborne begin to heal from the wounds of his horrific past, as he concentrates on Breena and training his two brothers, keeping his people's traditions alive. Initially they are united in their twin desires for vengeance and mutual lust, but this grows into love and respect as they spend more time together.

If you like romances with solid relationship development, awkwardly tender romantic gestures, steamy almost-sex and sex scenes, magic, adventure and legend, then this is the book for you. Breena is a heroine a reader cheers for, because she's brave and stubborn and works very hard for her skills. Osborne is a great hero - brave, wild, sexy, flawed, and scarred inside and out. Add in the whole animalistic thing and you've got one combustible hero. Fast-paced and completely enjoyable to read, this is truly a magical little bonbon - enjoy!

P.S. And may I just say, "Holy crap!" - because whoever did the cover art actually read the story. There is nothing more annoying than book covers that don't match the actual characters or story. Breena's armband, gown and cloak are accurate! Woo Hoo - go Harlequin Art Department!!
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Aug 28, 2011 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

ARC from NetGalley

Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe is Book 2 in Royal House of Shadows by Harlequin Nocturne ~ a series of 4 books by some awesome authors filled with Paranormal creatures & suspense.

The series is built around the Royal Kingdom of Elden, and it's ruling family ~ in each book we'll get the story of one of the children, who were magically cast out into their paranormal world by their parents when their Kingdom was under attack from the Evil Blood Sorcerer ~ as a last act, before th...more ARC from NetGalley

Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe is Book 2 in Royal House of Shadows by Harlequin Nocturne ~ a series of 4 books by some awesome authors filled with Paranormal creatures & suspense.

The series is built around the Royal Kingdom of Elden, and it's ruling family ~ in each book we'll get the story of one of the children, who were magically cast out into their paranormal world by their parents when their Kingdom was under attack from the Evil Blood Sorcerer ~ as a last act, before their death, each parent sent magical spells upon their 4 children ~ one was casting them out and away from the castle under attack to safety, and the other was an urge for vengeance.

In Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe we meet the one daughter of the Royal Kingdom of Elden ~ Princess Breena. Princess Breena has magical powers ~ but like her mother, she won't come into her true powers until she meets her true mate, her love. But she's always been able to put herself into dreams ~ and the dreams she's been having are of a Warrior ~ HER warrior. When she finds herself cast out into the far lands, in a forest deep and dark and almost totally deserted, she's starving, thirsty, and scared she'll die out here alone ~ until she finds the cottage. She can't believe her luck ~ and when Osborn, the last of the Ursan Warriors, find her sleeping in his bed, he's first thrilled, then shocked, then suspicious....for her being there can only be a bad thing.

Osborn, a true Ursan Warrior ~ one who, when wearing his Barenhaut, can become the most fearsome of warriors ~ a true beserker, has lived his life since his early teen years for two things ~ to protect and raise his 2 younger brothers, and to have revenge on the Kingdom of Elden, whom he believes massacred all his people so many years ago. He doesn't at first know who Breena is, but he knows she's no commonly bred woman, and that she's brought trouble to he and his brothers. So quickly Osborn is looking for a way to get rid of Breena ~ she's woman, he can't just kill her, so he has to find her a place to go ~ that is, if he can resist the temptation she presents to him. And if she'd just stay away from him and out of his dreams...........and Breena is on a mission to get back to Elden, to see if her brothers survived, and what is being done to take the Kingdom back...and she needs HER Warriors help...

I loved this book ~ started out with a Goldilocks and The Three Bears Twist that just tickled me, and I found myself really falling for Osborn, feeling his pain and devotion to his brothers and his people ~ and really rooting for Breena to find a way around the rough shell he'd surounded himself with. Breena is a young, isolated young woman who finds herself having to learn many things about the world quickly ~ and I like the way Ms. Monroe handled this, and made me truly like Breena.

More things are revealed in the overall plot line that the Blood Sorcerer has laid for Elden.....and I can't wait to pick up Book 3!

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Jul 25, 2011 Vicky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the second volume in the Royal House of Shadows series, a set of books written by some of my favorite authors : Gena Showalter, Jill Monroe, Jessica Anderson and Nalini Singh. I will preface this review by saying I did not yet read the first book in the series.

With a nod to the “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” fairy tale, this one concerns Princess Breena of Elden (e.g. Goldilocks), and Osborn and his two brothers (the bears). Osborn and his brothers are Ursan, the last of their kind, an...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lord of Rage was a great read and I had a hard time putting it down. As the bar on my Nook told me I was approaching the end, I just couldn't believe it would be over- there was still so much left to talk about!

This was my first time reading anything by Jill Monroe and I am impressed. I tend to stick to the authors I know in regards to romance (if it ain't broke, don't fix it- right?), but I started this quartet because I snagged Book 1 at ALA from the Harlequin booth.

I took the time to read the...more

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Lord of Rage (Royal House of Shadows #2)

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