Balthazar

Evernight #5

by Claudia Gray

Desde que se convirtió en vampiro, Balthazar lleva siglos sin enamorarse. Pero ahora Skye, la víctima de su peor enemigo, despertará en él sentimientos que creía extinguidos...

Genres: Vampires, Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Supernatural

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 6, 2012

About the author

Claudia Gray is not my real name. I didn't choose a pseudonym because my real name is unpleasant (it isn't), because I'd always dreamed of calling myself this (I haven't) or even because I'm hiding from the remnants of that international diamond-smuggling cartel I smashed in 2003 (Interpol has taken care of them). In short, I took a pseudonym for no real reason whatsoever. Sometimes this is actually the best reason to do things.

I live in New Orleans. So far, in life, I've been a disc jockey, a lawyer, a journalist and an extremely bad waitress, just to name a few. I especially like to spend time traveling, hiking, reading and listening to music. More than anything else, I enjoy writing.

Reviews

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"One thing you can always be sure of---any vampire's life story has an unhappy ending."

I loved Balthazar from the Evernight series, and always felt bad for him. He didn't get the girl and he was so tortured by his past (the above quote is what he truly believes). So I was thrilled to hear that he was going to get his own story, and this does not disappoint.

Balthazar has been a vampire for about four hundred years. He was turned against his will by evil vampire, Redgrave. Redgrave forced Balthazar to make a difficult choice and he ended up turning his sister, Charity, as well. Something he has never forgiven himself for. But that's in the past, and Balthazar has left that behind, or so he thinks.

Balthazar is sent to check on Skye, a fellow Evernight Academy student, by Lucas (also a fellow student from Evernight). It seems Skye, has been having trouble with visions of death. If she comes to a place where a person has died a violent death, she can see it. More than that, she feels everything the victim did. When Balthazar arrives, he finds Skye about to be attacked by one of Redgrave's vampires, Lorenzo, and saves her. But not before Lorenzo has had a taste of Skye's blood. There is something special about Skye's blood; now Lorenzo and by extension, Redgrave, knows it. Balthazar's past and present are about to collide in a very dangerous way to Skye.

I've lusted after Balthazar since the scene with him and Bianca in Stargazer (the second book in the Evernight series) where they do that mutual bite thingy, here's a snippet:

"And I tasted his desire--raw, hard physical need. Within my mind flashed veiled images and sensations, the knowledge of sex that he possessed and I lacked, or had lacked until now. My body responded to it, and then I felt him bite down harder onto my neck as he sensed my arousal in return. That made me want him more, and made him want me more, the feeling doubling in on itself over and over until I couldn't bear it one second longer--"

So yeah, that pretty much made my legs jelly back then (and now, remembering it!). Add to that, he's such a nice guy/vampire, so protective and just a little bit possessive. The fact that he still feels so guilty over his past actions makes him even more endearing but you desperately want him to get past that because he doesn't deserve to feel that way anymore. He finds himself drawn to Skye but denies himself:

Skye looked up at him, and her face revealed more of her vulnerability, and gratitude, than words could. For a moment, he felt a surge of protectiveness---and something else besides----No humans, he thought. It was an old rule of his.

This is told from both Balthazar's and Skye's POV. I love hearing the thoughts of both main characters and since I don't really remember Skye from the Evernight , this helped me to get to know her. I really liked Skye's character. She was level headed and thought of others. In fact her scary, death visions are the result of her helping Bianca escape Evernight at the end of the series. When Balthazar pushes her away (stubborn man!), she doesn't keep running after him; she accepts it and tries to deal with bigger problems. She lets him come to his senses on his own. Balthazar is really conflicted about her but only because he cares so deeply *sigh* for her. Although I did enjoy learning about Balthazar's past, I could've done with less of the flashbacks. The amount included interrupted, and slowed the plot down, in my opinion. Maybe others will disagree but I felt some of it should've been trimmed. The ending wrapped up nicely, and this could easily be a stand-alone, but it is left open to another book if the author decides to continue on. I talked to Claudia Gray at a book signing and she said that the possibility of a sequel is dependent on how well this book does. So I guess we'll see. I completely enjoyed this book and hope we get more.

[Wendy Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing wrong with a hot vampire. :D Review to come.

[Saniya]

OMG!!! x_x BALTHAZAR! The name says it all! =D
AND the cover is finally here!! :D buh I wanted him in the cover :(
btw, this story is gonna rock!!! :D

[Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in March 2012

**Thank-you to HarperCollins Australia for providing me with a copy of this to read and review!**


Balthazar is the book all Evernight fans have been waiting for, and with its enthralling storyline it does not disappoint!

I’m a big fan of Claudia Gray. I’ve read all her books and while some may say vampires are done, I disagree when it comes to this series. The Evernight series never ceases to entertain me and while the storyline in Balthazar is nothing I haven’t seen before, Gray’s darkly gothic writing and beautiful storytelling had me captivated from the very first page.

Finally, finally we have Balthazar’s story. After all the wishing and the waiting, one of the most beloved if not saddest and loneliest characters finally get’s his story. We’ve all wanted this story and I’m pleased to say I’m thrilled with what Claudia Gray did! I’ve always loved Balthazar, but in this book I feel like we see a very different side to him. With the kindness and charm that he showed throughout the Evernight series hiding his true sadness, it’s in his story that we see the real pain he houses and we get to see the real Balthazar. There’s no denying that he’s sexy, with his dark good looks and appeal, but as he’s front and centre in this book, Gray’s ability to sweep us back into the various stages of Balthazar’s past allow us to see him as we’ve never seen him before. It’s almost like he’s a different character, but looking back I can see the hints of his true nature we saw throughout Evernight. And I liked what I saw—it was raw and it was horrible; sadder than I expected but I liked it none the less. He wasn’t so much just the 400 hundred vampire that he was, although there’s no doubt that he accomplished everything a vampire is, but rather a man conflicted and vulnerable at times.

We were first introduced to Skye Tierney in the final Evernight book, Afterlife, and I must say she made an impression on me even back then as a human girl who managed to handle her discovery of vampires with surprising grace and bravery. I liked Skye in this book; she was easy to read about and follower---a worthy love interest for Balthazar. She was brave and had plenty of courage. She was rational, but very normal; reacting as I expected her to. I liked the little bit of fire Skye had at times too; tempting and baiting Balty no matter how hard he tried to resist—it was funny seeing a centuries old vampire so flustered by a mere mortal.

I was both thrilled and a tad disappointed with the relationship between Skye and Balthazar. Thrilled because I loved how Claudia Gray wrote it; Skye and Balthazar were both so comfortable with one another. Their relationship was without a doubt one of attraction yet it was built on the friendship that developed throughout the novel. It was sweet and endearing and passionate and fiery at the same time. From their heated stares and hilariously exchanged texts to their soft conversations and the laughs they shared, Balthazar and Skye had chemistry.....and this is also why I’m a tad disappointed. Balthazar and Skye have attended the same school for two years, why couldn’t they have found each other before now? I understand that writers don’t always plan certain things when they begin a series, but I would have loved to have seen their relationship throughout the entire Evernight series! Still, I’m thrilled to see them find each other now.

With an exciting plot full of danger and excitement that see’s Balthazar face people from his past Balthazar is a fantastic read! A few characters from the Evernight series make cameos and we finally get to see Balthazar get his long deserved happily ever after. I’m feeling satisfied with how this story ended, but there are still a few loose ends left untied if you ask me. I feel like Balthazar finally found the happiness he deserved by the end of this book and am thrilled Claudia Gray allowed us to see it!

[The Translation Abbey · Rating 3 out of 5]

• “...Listo con una dulce sonrisa para todos aunque su mirada siempre tuviera un aire un tanto distante y melancólico… un aire que le inducía a querer borrar esa melancolía…"


Reseña:

Antes que nada, para los que no leyeron la saga Evernight (Medianoche) de Claudia Gray y quieren leer Balthazar se van a encontrar con dos inconvenientes: primero, hay ciertas cosas que no las van a entender; y segundo, se van a spolear cosas del final de la saga.

[¡CUIDADO! Contiene spoilers de Evernight]



Han pasado 5 semanas desde la destrucción de Evernight Academy, el internado élite ubicado en las colinas de Massachusetts. Mientras Skye Tierney trata de volver a su vida normal en Darby Glen, ésta comienza a experimentar ciertos sucesos supernaturales luego a que se dejó poseer por Bianca. Skye acude a Lucas por ayuda y éste envía a Balthazar para ayudarla. Al llegar, se encuentra con que los poderes psíquicos de Skye no son el mayor problema, sino el interés de Redgrave (el poderoso y siniestro vampiro que convirtió a Balthazar) hacia ella.
Balthazar hará cualquier cosa por mantener a Skye a salvo y vengarse de Redgrave.




Amo la saga Evernight y hace tiempo que tengo este libro en la repisa. Sinceramente, esta semana no estaba buscando un libro sobrenatural para leer, quería leer algo más realista, pero bueno, lo ví y lo comenzé…

El libro comenzó bien, pero en un punto me aburrió. Recién a partir del capítulo 8 se pone muchooo másss interesante...

Balthazar:

Siempre tan bueno, caballeroso, tan protector... A superhot vampire <3
Además, llegamos a conocer un poco más sobre su vida antes y después de convertirse en vampiro: su sufrimiento; su vida en solitario; su relación con Redgrave, Constantia y Charity…


Skye: Reconozco que cuando leí en la sinopsis que estaba ella retrasé la lectura más tiempo, en Evernight no me había terminado de cerrar su personaje, pero me sorprendió y puedo decir: BIEN HECHO SKYE! jajajaja (los que leyeron o lean el libro supongo que me entenderán). Su personaje sabe lo que quiere (especialmente a lo relacionado con Balthazar), es valiente, no se deja intimidar, dice lo que piensa…

El libro tiene momentos muy graciosos como por ejemplo los mensajes de texto que se manda con Clementine, su antigua compañera de Evernight. No tienen precio, me reí demasiado. :)

Tiene un final abierto, asique no dudo que en algún momento salga la 2da parte.

Calificación: 3.5

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Evernight series, Balthazar was one of my favourite – and one of the hottest – characters around. My expectations for his very own simply titled spin-off, Balthazar, were incredibly high, especially since I wasn’t very impressed by the last two installments of the series. Luckily, this book was just as fantastic as Balthazar himself.

Skye Tierney has been seeing ghosts since she was a little girl, and for a while, she thought that her ability was the only supernatural thing out there. After attending Evernight for two years, though, and discovering that she was going to school with, yes, honest-to-god vampires, her world became suddenly much bigger. When Skye returns home after Evernight burns down, her strange visions of deaths aren’t the only strange thing happening – suddenly, a gang of very dangerous vampires are on her tail. Hot vampire Balthazar finds out and heads over to help his friend, and meanwhile to seek revenge on the gang who literately changed his life, but might something besides friendship blossom between the two?

I proudly admit that I could not put this book down! With action coming in to play within the very first chapter, and with Gray’s ease in the third person, there wasn’t an unexciting moment. Gray’s writing is crafty, but to-the-point; while she always delivered with careful detailing and creative attention to the setting, the style was tense, and suspenseful as the scene called. Also, AM I EVER appreciative of Gray’s ability to script chemistry and sexual tension, because oh boy did some of the conversations in Balthazar make me flush.

The characters rocked. Skye was totally admirable – her intelligence, emotional strength, and ability to think things through. Many, many times throughout the book I thought, “Wow. Skye is smart and she shows it.” And, “Wow. Skye is nothing like those other PNR heroines. She actually has a brain and cares about something other than her relationship status.” Balthazar, too, made me smile. Not only was he hot (teehee), but he also had a conscience and sense of ethics, this realness something that made him really special. The side characters were all multi-dimensional, but while I easily pushed aside the Disappearing Parent Syndrome going on, this might be something other readers might be wary of, as though all other characters were well written in this story, the parents were very, clearly missing. Still, what’s something very credible about Gray’s writing is that she never writes characters as only “bad guys” or “good guys”; every character, missing or not, has shades and reasons and lives.

What I particularly think stands out about Balthazar, in comparison to other YA PNRs, is that the romance never strayed untrue. Rare were the cheesy “we can’t be together but I love you forever” lines in this book; instead, Gray gave us two strong characters passionate for one another, but never changing their personalities to make them dependant or unrealistic to their reality. Unfortunately, what was amiss in this story was a truly fresh plot. Vampires are after a human girl with special blood: check, I’ve seen it before. While scenes of Balthazar’s past were interesting enough for me to generally pass over the lacking of a new idea, I wish there could have been a storyline more specific to the world of Evernight.

Although I’m disappointed that this is the only (currently-planned) story for Balthazar and Skye, the open ending has let my imagination go wild regarding the futures of the two characters. This story has renewed my faith in Gray’s writing, and I am so excited to find out what she has in store for readers next!

BALTHAZAR by Claudia Gray
Audience: 13+ (questionable content, questionable language, hot scenes)
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

[Courtney Allison Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Balthazar......

[Mummy Cat Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Evernight series, just like my friend Heather, so we decided to read Balthazar together.

I wish Gray would have separated the series into two parts, like Richelle Mead did with Vampire Academy and her Bloodlines series.

Balthazar was a great character and I really wanted to learn more about him and read his own story but this book just wasn't what I had expected, leaving me disappointed.

This book starts off with Skye being chased by vampires. Skye was in the last book. She is a human but grew up with a ghost in her house and was a bit more in tune with the paranormal world. After her brother's death and something else that happens in the previous book, Skye moved back in with her absentee parents and enrolls in public school.

Then comes Balthazar in chapter 2.

"Balthazar had come here looking for Skye Tierney. Thanks to Lucas, he'd known she was in trouble. But he hadn't expected to walk right into a fight against another vampire."

This is basically all the author says about why Balthazar is even there. It just comes off as odd. Not explained really, not even a happenstance, just oh Lucas told me. What? Over 100 pages in and I'm still asking myself this question. Why? So, I guess, Balthazar elected himself, just himself, to help Skye for some reason, he doesn't know.

The story continues with Skye being wanted by Balthazar's sire, Redgrave, and clan. Skye can see and expereince past deaths. She can psychically see the persons death. After Skye is bitten, it comes out that she has a special quality that Redgrave wants to bank on. Redgrave persues Skye and wants to keep her hostage and it is up to Balthazar, alone, to keep that from happening.

As the book progresses, Balthazar and Skye seem to become friends. This relationship came off as forced or fake to me. It was like the two of them were forced together and it wasn't a natural friendship. I just wasn't feeling their friendship. I felt like they were getting to know each other but with a line of attraction underneath. In addition, I'm still not getting why he's there.

Probably the biggest complaint I have about this book is that Skye is the premise, the point, the person that the reader follows, the whole key to this book. The title is Balthazar not Skye. I just didn't enjoy following Skye, taking care of Skye and on and on about Skye this and that. No, I'm here to learn about Balthazar. Although the author does cover this character, the book just was a let down and Skye ruined it for me.

This book talks a lot more about Charity, Balthazar's sister. From the previous books, I remember her being a bit cray cray. Since her death, Balthazar has had this guilt hanging over him and he never could quite deal with it. In this book, the author does a nice job of creating a history for Balthazar and things are explained through flashbacks. Charity, was a bit toned down. She was still cray cray but in a more relaxed way.

The flashbacks happen throughout many generations. Such as the civil war, WW1, the depression and so forth. Balathazar starts to remember who he was before he was changed. He reflects on a lost love from his human years and the decades since his death. These insights into who he is and what experiences he has really changed Balthazar for me. In the previous books, he was a sweet, super caring character who happened to be a tall, blonde, blue eyed, glass of water. After finishing this book, Balthazar never looses that sensitive side, but he does become more of a hard ass.

Bianca, is the only character from the previous books to make an appearance. I found this odd, since this is supposed to be a continuation to the series.

Overall, I found I was disappointed in this book. Balthazar's character changed and I just didn't feel like it was him anymore. I didn't like how Skye was an even bigger character than Balthazar. I didn't enjoy the attempt at humor and I didn't like the other characters as much. The book wasn't boring. There are things that happen that are interesting and I was entertained. I guess I set myself up for one thing and got something else so I feel ripped off by the book. If you are a fan of the Evernight series, then I'm confident you will want to read this book. Just make sure you go into it knowing that Skye will always be there and we aren't really sure why, but Balthazar is too.

Content: Sex behind closed doors, talk of sexual liaisons with a few characters, violence

[Leah (Jane Speare) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Balthazar More is constantly haunted by his past, in the form of his sister, Charity. She still hasn't forgiven him for her death centuries ago, and now she is back with Balthazar's old nemesis, Redgrave. But Balthazar isn't the only one Redgrave is after. His human friend from Evernight Academy Skye Tierney is psychic; she has an unwanted power of what she calls 'death-sight' - reliving people's deaths. The vampires have figured this out, and they want her blood. Now Balthazar feels it's his duty to protect Skye, and sort out his feelings for her along the way. I love the way Claudia Gray writes, it is so natural to read. And the characters are very distinct, especially through their dialogue. The story brims with tension of every sort, and the deceptively steady pace of the book barely prepares you for the fantastic ending. Even if you haven't read the Evernight series, you will still enjoy Balthazar.

[Ana Herondale · Rating 5 out of 5]

No puedo contener mis ganas de querer más ❤️‍🔥. Qué maravilla de libro, doy gracias de que se centre en Balthazar porque sinceramente, es mi personaje fav de toda la saga❤️. Este es mi libro favorito de Claudia Gray. La tensión sexual entre Balthazar y Skye es increíble 😏 y que él tenga que fingir ser profesor sólo para poder cuidarla hasta en la escuela 🥰... Me ha enamorado, en serio.

[Julie Witchester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro me gustó muchísimo más que toda la saga de Medianoche. Skye es una protagonista mucho mejor que Bianca y Balthazar me ha llegado a gustar mucho.

[Aynara Grammelstorff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luego de dos años al fin le doy termino a la saga "medianoche" mi odio por balthazar a cesado y me enamore de él, de su historia con su hermana Charity, con Skye y el maldito que los convirtió.
Bueno este libro trata de balthazar, ya no de bianca con Lucas, pero aún así son nombrados como personajes secundarios. Todos merecemos un buen final feliz, y balthazar después de 400 años pudo encontrar la felicidad y sentirse vivo por primera vez, ahora más que su hermana estaba de su parte.
La historia está más que bien escrita, a medida que iba leyendo se me ocurría como seguiría la novela y todo lo que está escrito lo pensé yo misma sin seguir leyendo. Los personajes son todo un monumento, Skye y balthazar me encantaron, creo que fue el mejor inicio y final que pudo tener, el libro pasó a ser uno de mis favoritos incluso más que la misma saga y la historia de Lucas y bianca.
Respecto al pasado de balthazar junto con el de Charity, fue triste, me llegaron a saltar las lágrimas que en cierta parte moje el libro un poco, no me arrepiento de haberlo hecho, me gusta que mis libros tengan algo de mi, en fin los hermanos, el rencor que ella le tiene a él por convertirla en vampiro y como fue manipulada después de eso para odiar a su hermano, pero al final la hermandad triunfa y eso es lo que mas recato en el libro, que a pesar de odio y que le deseen la muerte a un familias, es familia, es sangre y si no es sangre, es familia, lazos, vínculos que los unen y lloro mucho por aquello, porque es lo que busco en los libros, estoy feliz y me voy llenita de amor por leer tanta belleza, y se noto que la escritora le dio con todo en este último, balthazar merecía un final feliz.

[ALEXISAMAILIBRI · Rating 4 out of 5]

Partiamo col fatto che questo personaggio non abbia avuto una vita facile, ma da quel che ho notato ha sempre preso le sue responsabilità senza mai tirarsi indietro. Ha avuto un passato davvero brutto, soprattutto dopo che è diventato vampiro, ma nonostante il cambiamento non ha mai rinunciato alla sua umanità ed è da apprezzarlo, non è da tutti. Eppure anche lui ha commesso degli errori che l’hanno costretto a fare alcuni azioni di cui se ne colpevolizza sempre, a partire dalla sua amata e sua sorella, che anche in vita non stava bene con la testa.
C’è un punto di svolta Balthazar si innamora di Skye, una ragazza conosciuta in precedenza e ha peculiari poteri da essere bramata da tutti i vampiri.
È bello vedere Balthazar protettivo e geloso allo stesso tempo, farebbe di tutto pur di proteggere chi ama, un personaggio vecchio stampo...
Eppure vi è una pecca in questo libro e sapete quale è? Il finale ha un lieto fine ma sembra appeso, come se avesse una continua e le domande sorgono spontanee: dove andranno Balthazar e Skye? Riusciranno ad evitare i vampiri che vogliono la ragazza? Ma soprattutto come si svolgerà il loro amore?

[Ljubica]

Oh my god!!! This is soooo amazing!!! Excpet the part where I have to wait such a long time!!!
I hope it's going to be worth the wait!! <3

[Jennifer McCoy, YA Sisterhood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed on the YA Sisterhood Blog
my link text

Oh Balthazar, you make me sigh,
For you, all guys, I will deny,
Your chiseled abs and brooding smirk,
Make daydreaming a lifelong perk.
Forget that Skye and come to me!
Bite my neck and set me free!
The thought of you, I am in awe,
I close my eyes, and oh la la!

So I was never one of those people that read and re-read Twilight over and over again, so I am not even close to bored of vampires yet…which is great, because otherwise I might not have read Balthazar right away; and I would have completely been missing out! It was such a quick read (which I love….makes me feel accomplished and genius-like) and there’s just enough detail that you get the action without being bogged down by the color of the sky or the smell of the trees or other such nonsense. Because, with me, I like to get to the steamy part right away!!! (But I’m going to make you wait…not long…but just a little tease!)

Balthazar is a stand-alone novel with characters from the Evernight series. I’ve never read the Evernight series, and I was able to pick up this book and read like I already knew the characters. The only one that confused me at times (where I had to look up a character analysis just to be clear about what he was) was Lucas, and he only has a few cameos (we never see him in person…only a mention of a phone call or text). So that was great that I could read a book without having to go purchase and read all the ones that came before it.

Okay…so here we go…

The novel is focused around Skye Tierney who has the gift of “death sight.” She inherited the ability to experience the deaths of people when Bianca (a wraith) possessed her at the end of the last Evernight book. As a result of the possession, Skye’s aura was awakened to the dead. Now, any time she is in the place where someone died a violent death, she goes into a trance and relives the death—the fear, the pain, all of it. Soon, these psychic powers catch the attention of a monstrous vampire, Redgrave, who just happens to be Balthazar’s nemesis. Skye, unaware of the power her blood has over vampires, finds herself in the middle of a cat and mouse game with Redgrave and his minions.

Enter Mr. Dreamsicle…my mouth is starting to water!

He’s sexy and broody—my two favorite attributes in a vamp! For 100s of years, Balthazar has lived without love; he’s seen how the vampire world tears apart love and innocence. But for some reason, Skye opens his eyes and his heart (all at once now…..awwww!). He pledges to protect her from Redgrave, which requires him to be at her side constantly—even throughout the night.

So, what do I LOVE about it? I absolutely love that Claudia Gray wrote the novel in third person, going back and forth between Skye’s point of view and Balthazar’s. We see Skye constantly fret over whether or not Balthazar looked at her or thought about her. You know what it’s like (or remember what it’s like)….where you want to grab a flower and recite the “He loves me, He loves me not,” over and over again because just maybe he really does love you! You really get to see how Skye deals with the budding romance, it’s ups and downs. I do wish the novel would have delved deeper into her psychic powers because that it was causes the problems to begin with; however, her abilities are put on the back burner while its effects on vampires is thrust in the forefront. I would have liked to see Skye really push her limits to discover what true power she holds.

I love Balthazar’s point of view a hundred times more! He made one rule many centuries ago: no humans. But as Balthazar continues to fall for Skye, he has to continually remind himself of that, and every time he repeated the phrase “no humans,” I smiled because it showed his vulnerability and it’s just great to know that guys can be driven crazy, too. But he keeps refusing to show his feelings—even after Skye saves his life…I won’t tell you how….but I will tell you that there’s an shower scene (EEEEKK!!!!) and he ends up naked in her bed. So beware, parents, about letting your teenagers read this—even though it says it’s for ages 13 and up. Anyways…after that, Balthazar has to recite his rule over and over again. Finally, when he gives in to his desire for Skye, they end up in heart-thumping, chills down your back, embrace that, yes, I read multiple times. Let me tell you—OH LA LA!!!!!

I’ll let you discover the rest on your own.

So, Survey Says….

I am oh so glad I read this book. While, in my opinion, Balthazar is not Jace or Four, I still found him to be oh so hot, so if you enjoy paranormal romance, this book is for you.

What bugged me? It’s supposedly a stand-alone novel, but it ends like it’s going to be a trilogy of its own. So, if there aren’t any books coming after this in the future, I’m going to be upset. I mean, Skye is just now starting to understand her psychic powers (in the last 2-3 chapters of the book) and the power they hold.

For parents, there are a few curse words here and there, but most importantly, there is sexual content. There’s the naked shower scene, a hot and steamy make out session which fades to black, and then there are lots of references to touching each other and kissing each other after the initial sexual acts.

[Dario Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó este spin off. Sirvió bien para sacarme el mal sabor de lo que fue el último libro de la saga de Medianoche. Los protagonistas de esta historia me gustaron mucho más. Balthazar ya me caía mucho mejor en los otros libros y se veía con mucho potencial para tener su propia historia, por suerte no fue desaprovechado. Tiene acción, una buena dosis de romance y se lee super rápido y fácil. Está a la altura de los primeros dos libros de esta saga.

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

Despite what the description says, I don’t think BALTHAZAR should be considered a stand-alone novel. I haven’t read the Evernight series and felt pretty lost in the beginning. There is a lot of history that I felt like I was supposed to know, not to mention characters and various previous relationships that significantly impacted this story. Eventually, I became invested enough that all the little holes didn’t bother me too much, but I can only image that readers familiar with the Evernight series will enjoy this book much more than those of us coming to this world for the first time.

I was a little surprised by the split POVs in BALTHAZAR. Based on the description, I was expecting it to be all Balthazar. I actually think the title of the book should have been SKYE, since it struck me as much more her story than his. Skye is dealing with her ex and his new girlfriend, the death of her brother, and the isolation from her parents, not to mention unpredictable psychic visions and a vicious pack of vampires after her uniquely powerful blood. Balthazar appoints himself her protector, and through a series of flashbacks, relives his transition from human to vampire and beyond. While it was initially interesting to read about Balthazar’s former life, I quickly became bored with the frequency and length of these flashbacks. One or two would have sufficed and that would have allowed more time for the romance between Balthazar and Skye to build more gradually. The ‘I’m in love’ realization happened much too quickly and unfortunately did not feel credible.

Well written and full of several swoon worthy moments, BALTHAZAR was a romantic and suspenseful read that, because of my ignorant of the series, left me a little lost in the beginning, but has completely motivated me to pick up the Evernight series and fill in the holes. If you are already an Evernight fan, than you’ve probably been dying for a book about Balthazar, and even to a newbie like me, it’s not hard to see why. He was tortured and heroic, and when he fell in love (even if it happened a bit too quickly for my taste) he fell hard, and consequently, I did too.

Sexual Content:
Kissing. Implied sex

[★Kayla★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't wait for this book!!

[Cris Lightwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

He sufrido una pequeña decepción en el final, pero pequeña. Aún así *suspiro* Balthazar *suspiro*, me encanta *suspiro, suspiro* xD

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claudia Gray is one of those authors I always like. Some of her books are better than others. Some speak more to me than others, but there's not one I read that I disliked. However, this book was on my shelves for a long time already. I finished the original series and somehow I didn't feel like starting this one and didn't really know why, actually. But today I stood in front of my bookcase and felt the pull towards this book.

And this book, maybe even more than the last book of the original series, was a vampire love story as I like them. It's filled with danger, it's filled with threats and serious contenders, it's filled with hard choices and it's filled with confrontations. Both characters have a lot of growing and learning to do. Both on their own and also together. And to learn and grow, they also have to confront the past and what made them who they are now.

Balthazar suffers the typical vampire guilt. We learn in flashbacks where that guilt comes from, why he sees himself as a monsters and why he doesn't allow humans to get involved with him and his life. But slowly we see the cracks forming, we see him breaking. In a good way. It's a hard journey, most of all for Balthazar himself, but the conclusion he reaches at the end of the book is beautiful and absolutely worth the read.

The same can be said about Skye. Skye has those powers she knows nothing about. She can see ghosts, she can experience their deaths and it terrifies her. When she learns that her gift has consequences for vampires drinking her blood she has to confront her fears and figure out what's going on with her, what it means and how she has to deal with it. And on top of that she has to convince Balthazar that it's okay to love her.

Written in the typical easy to read and highly addictive style of Claudia Gray this is a vampire story like there are maybe already a lot. And yet, it's still worth the read.

[幽灵 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Urgh!!! This is a total disappointment!!!
For a start, I don't think this book relates to Bianca at all, well at least a little but it is just like starting the whole story again with a new lovesick character!
Throughout the book, we can't really piece together Balthazar's whole backstory as fragments of it kept surfacing at odd times. And the part where Skye was brought into the story with her blood being so powerful seemed forced to me. It was like the author was trying to force Balthazar into a relationship since he had been dumped for so many times in the past and he's supposed to be so handsome but hey, Skye is a girl that gives you the impression of cuteness and innocence...Doesn't pairing her up with a hundred year old vampire seem a little odd?
I admit there are several sweet parts in this book but that's all. I loved Claudia Gray's books but I just can't bring myself to love this series wholeheartedly. True, there were some flashes of awesome plot but most of the time, I simply can't bear the story. If you're looking forward for an exciting adventure plus sweet romance from this book, turn away immediately. You'll only waste your time getting disappointed.

[Omaira · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Una historia que no decepciona. Podría haber dado más de sí en ciertos aspectos, pero atrapa y consigue que te impliques en lo que les va ocurriendo a los protagonistas. La acción y el romance marcan el desarrollo de los acontecimientos, y no es fácil adivinar cómo acabará todo. Además, se muestra mejor que en los libros anteriores la peligrosidad que suponen los vampiros que no tienen límites. Lo más triste es que el desenlace deja la puerta abierta a una continuación, la cual no existe en la actualidad".

Reseña completa: https://entrelalecturayelcine.blogspo...

[Alisha Brook · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

[K Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

The different story lines concerning Balthazar being a vampire and Skye trying to figure out what was going on with her kept me reading. Not to mention Redgrave and his cronies.

[Ferdy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some spoilers

Skye Tierney is adjusting to life after Evernight Academy. She's returned home to memories of her dead brother, an empty house and distant parents who are still grieving the loss of their son. If that wasn't enough, Skye has to attend her local high school with her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. On top of that she has to deal with her new psychic powers which she got after willingly being possessed by Bianca..oh and she also has a vampire stalker intent on drinking her blood.
With Skye's life in danger, Balthazar is sent by their mutual friend, Lucas to help her. When Balthazar finds out that the vampire stalking Skye is someone who he is familiar with, he realises that Skye is in even more danger than what either of them initially thought. Balthazar is horrified to find out that his sadistic sire, Redgrave and his old clan of vampires are in town to capture Skye for her unique and powerful blood.
Skye and Balthazar take turns narrating, there's also flashbacks to Balthazar's past. The flashbacks give us insight into Charity and Balthazar's complicated love-hate relationship, Balthazar's years of lonliness, Balthazar's sire and Balthazar's first love.
Skye was at times hard to like but she was ultimately a strong, sweet, capable and pragmatic heroine. She spent the first part of the book angry with her ex, who dumped her for someone else when she was still grieving for her brother. I could understand her bitterness and resentment towards her ex but I thought she was too bitchy and harsh to his new girlfriend. It was good to see her change and accept her ex's new girlfriend.
Skye and Balthazar's relationship is slow to start but once things heat up, it's pretty much full steam ahead. Of course, Balthazar has a rule not to get involved with humans after his first love died because of him being a vampire. After Balthazar pushes her away one too many times, Skye accepts his decision and we hilariously find out that Balthazar is suprised and disappointed that Skye's not chasing him and worshipping him! Balthazar gets jealous when Skye decides to move on and it's so good because he deserves it and because Jealous Balthazar is pretty sexy.
I loved that Skye wasn't a virgin but I wasn't impressed with the fact that she only had sex once with her boyfriend of over 2 years just because she was grieving for her dead brother and wanted comfort. I would have liked that she actually had sex because she was ready to and because she desired her boyfriend. I mean really, the one time she has sex, Skye regrets it and thinks it was a mistake..why are so many authors afraid to have their YA heroines have an enjoyable, healthy sex life prior to meeting the hero.
I also didn't like that once Skye falls for Blathazar, her feelings for her ex are forgotten about and diminished, and don't compare to what she feels for Balthazar. Whereas Balthazar doesn't forget or feel any less for his first love, he even still feels some desire for one of his old lovers. Again, I don't know get why so many YA heroine's are only allowed to feel lust/love/attraction to the hero yet the hero is still allowed to lust after and find other girls attractive.
What I liked most about the book was Charity, what a brilliantly written character. Her relationship with Balthazar is complex, angsty, bittersweet and I found it even more interesting than that of Skye's and Balthazar's relationship. After reading about Balthazar's past, I could understand why Charity felt so much anger towards her brother, he should have protected her but instead he damned her for eternity. As well as being crazy Charity is also pretty funny, she has one particularly unexpected and hilarious line, that one line makes the whole series for me. I really would like to see Charity get her own book, she's such a wonderfully intricate, perplexing character and she more than deserves a HEA.
The ending felt too unfinished and open..what happens to Skye's parents? Where do Skye and Balthazar go and how do they keep themselves safe from all the vampires hunting them? Does Skye stay human or become a vampire? If Skye stays human, will Balthazar still be with her when she's in her 40's or 50's? Is Skye going to finish high school or go to college? I'm hoping there's a sequel so I can get some answers.

[Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've not read the entire Evernight series yet, but the couple of books I have read from this series I really enjoyed and Balthazar's story was no different. Claudia Gray has written a book that fans of both her Evernight series and Balthazar will love. She's written his story in such a way that it ties nicely into the series and also works perfectly as a stand alone. This book is full of action, romance, and plenty of back history that will have fans swoony over this fabulous character.

This story starts off with an action packed scene and a fabulous encounter with Skye and Balthazar. I really enjoyed these two and the way in which they both compliment each other as characters. They got each other, they helped each other and of course their falling for each other was my favorite part of this story. These two characters were written in way that made them realistic, they were flawed and I liked being able to understand them. Claudia allowed me to understand what drove them, and what made them make the decisions they did, and in Balthazar's cause what was holding him back.

I loved the historical parts of this story that came in the form of Balthazar's flashbacks. They worked well for the story and it gave me a glimpses into the person he used to be and what made him the character he is now. Not to mention it also provided the history of Balthazar, his sister and the other characters that are in this story who are after Skye. Skye's unique power also played a huge role into the flashbacks. Through everything that happens in this story between Skye and Balthazar, I loved the way they learn to trust each other, help each other and the way they fall in love with another. I felt like everything was well paced and flowed perfectly for this book.

The romance was awesome! It was snarky, hot, and sometimes hilarious. Skye can definitely hold her own and dish it to the often times stubborn Balthazar. He also dishes it back in a different way and I seriously loved the interaction between the two of them. Their relationship was at times sweet, hot, and other times completely enjoyable to watch how it grew. No matter what they said or how they acted it was obvious to there was more than just flittering going on between the two. Their choices and their actions spoke volumes in what they were both willing to give up for the other. Their love for each other was well written and really just a sweet romance.

Fans of Evernight will definitely enjoy spending time with their favorite vampire hottie, Balthazar! This is not only a book I'd recommend picking up for fans of this series, but for anyone looking for a good paranormal book to read. If you've not read the Evernight series and want to read this book I say read it! Claudia wrote this book in a way that fans of both the series and those who haven't read it will totally enjoy it. If you enjoy an action packed story with romance, historical references and well written characters I recommend picking up Balthazar.

[Once · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I can give this book more that 5 trees, I would give it 100! Balthazar oh Balthazar! One word to describe this character and that’s Scrumptious!! What an amazing read. This is the first novel I have read from Claudia Gray and she will be added to my “look out for” list. Check!! Can I tell you that like most people (not all), I immediately judged the book by it’s cover and thought that this book would be about some type of history and I was skeptical to read it. BUT BOY WAS I WRONG! As soon as I opened the book and read page one I was seduced into this enchanting, dramatic adventure that lured me for an entire day before the ended the book. That’s right, 1 day! I finished the book, it’s that good!! Like I said before the cover didn’t really do it for me, I thought the cover didn’t do the story justice.

The characters!! One character in particular that I believe EVERYONE will love is of course Balthazar!. Centuries old vampire who attended Evernight, has come to protect Skye Tierney and that’s all. He’s made a promise to himself that he will never fall for another human. He believed that he will just be protecting Skye for a couple of days and whomever is bothering her will go away. But when he realizes early on that his old nemesis and the vampire who killed him is after Skye he will stop at nothing to protect her from him. All the while falling for her unexpectedly. Balthazar’s personality is that of a gentlemen. He’s confident in what he wants, all the while he’s friendly, honest and funny. Basically all you can ever want in a man.

Skye is a teenage girl who has encountered supernatural powers after she saved a friend at Evernight Academy. What she didn’t know was that she has something else that would be the overall chaos of all vampires nationwide. What she posses is so enticing, it’s like a drug for vampires and they have found out. Skye has been through a lot! This year, and now to have all of this on her shoulders, I would have been overwhelmed. But Skye is not. She’s a tough cookie. Skye is tough on the outside but a sweetheart on the inside. She’s strong minded, confident and level headed girl who has just had a little bit of bad luck. But that doesn’t stop her from continuing on living. With her love of horses which I thought was a unique touch. I loved that she lived in a home that has a horse stall out back and she has enough forest to do daily runs on her horse EB. I would imagine myself doing exactly that.

The story overall is a great read for anyone. Everyone will enjoy it. It’s romantic, adventurous and mindblowingly delicious. ←(is that even a word) hahaha who cares this book is awesome!! Must READ!!! and better yet, Claudia Gray has a series called Evernight!!! I will definitely get my hands on these and reviews are coming! This book can be read as a stand alone.

review link: http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2012...

[Kimmy · Rating 2 out of 5]

My god this book is one shitty book. Pick it up only if you are a fan of Twilight.

In fact, if you want to reread Twilight, you can pick up this book instead! A hot vampire who has saving a foolish young girl from (her own, pfft) demise as a 24/7 non-paying occupation? Yep, this book has it.

With vampires on the heels of the female antagonist - oops, sorry- protagonist, Skye, I'm surprised (actually, not really) that her largest concern is actually whether her crush reciprocates her feelings or not. He loves me, he loves me not ladida. On second thought, that is poor representation of her actual feelings. In fact, it's worse. I-know-he-loves-me-but-he-doesn't-want-to-sleep-with-me-and-he-kisses-me-but-says-it-means-nothing-to-me-yet-he-is-so-hot-but-I-am-inclined-to-believe-he-doesn't-love-me-but-I-know-he-does-so-does-he-love-me kind of never-ending cycle. And put in all the petty Gossip Girl short stories of prom and dating someone else to make the guy feel jealous and whining and gossiping with best friends and old crushes and tada! You have Balthazar.

And another thing I utterly loathe about Balthazar: The female and male leads are utterly perfect. The sort of "I really need to pee but then there is a kitten stuck up a tree so I must help" kind of kindness that really gets on my nerves. Oh god, I'm being really mean here. But this as compared to what I had to put up with throughout the book, between me and the author, now who's the real meanie? Ok, just kidding. Who's mean or not, that's besides the point.

As I have said, Balthazar is another Twilight story in disguise. The only differences between Bella and Skye are their names (*duh) and that one is more helpless than the other. Thank god it's not Skye. Perhaps that would account for the extra one star.

The next point of mine on what I like about this book is entirely personal. Here goes: I admit that I am a little superstitious. And although I don't believe in ghosts, I do tend to be a wee afraid of things that go bump in the night. I love how Gray tries to think of ghosts as a loyal friends who sleepover every night in the house and who can come to our aid in dire times and act as constant companions to a person if ever need be. That makes a ghost seem to be more like a personal bodyguard more than an interloper, right? Nothing to be scared of, true? Yeah, yeah, oh who am I kidding? I'm still afraid. Additional protection from vampires or not, I would rather not have my home haunted. I consider ghosts, in fact, to be Peeping Toms instead. If it was a male ghost in a female bathroom... *gasp! Not good.

Overall, I think that Balthazar is a disappointing read. I really think that Balthazar neither merits nor lives up to its rather impressive ratings. I think I'll hardly ever pick up another vampire book after this. If anyone knows of a really good vampire book which is has nothing to do with the Twilight plot structure, feel free to recommend it to me. I can't wait.

[Zoey Talbon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Balthazar is one of those books that I know some of my friends would hate, but I found it an enjoyable read. A long time ago, I read Evernight, but I never continued on with the series. I don't think it was because I didn't like it; it was just one of those things I forgot about.

I've mentioned this before, but I'm not the kind of person who's tired of vampires and werewolves. I still love them just as much as I love any other types of books. (Except Fae books. I love those above all else.) And Gray's vampires work out well. Not all of them are bad, but not all of them are good, either. I like that balance - it's always seemed so unrealistic to me that every single vampire would be bad or every one of them would be good.

Balthazar tells the story of Balthazar, obviously, and all he goes through as he tries to protect Skye. We get to see how he spent his last hours as a human, how he spent his first hours as a vampire, and plenty of things that happened after that. I wasn't particularly fond of these flashbacks, but at the same time they provide a reason for why Balthazar is so hesitant with Skye and they show just how evil the bad guys really are, so I think they were necessary.

Balthazar along is enough reason to read this book. The limits he goes to to protect Skye are actually hilarious. (And life-threatening, of course.) It's interesting to read about how he fights his nature, but I also love that not all of his time is spent angsting and trying not to eat Skye.

I also love that Skye doesn't spend all her time thinking about Balthazar. She knows she has other worries - other vampires trying to use her as a drug, for instance. She's a very strong character, and the best part about her is that she has a hobby. Horseback riding. I hardly ever see characters in YA who have a hobby anymore - it's all DEATH DEATH KISS ATTACK. And while plenty of that is in Balthazar, Gray still found time to fit in that hobby. Which just happened to save Skye more than once.

My biggest issues lie with the secondary characters. Skye's new friend, her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend, the teachers at the school . . . I don't think there was a single one of them I liked. Which is a problem, since they're involved in the story quite a bit.

Overall: While I don't think Balthazar is full of suspense like the blurb says, Balthazar is a fun read, and if you liked the Evernight series, you should definitely read this. And if you never read it? You don't really need to have read it. The romance in Balthazar is the typical kind of forbidden romance, nothing new, but somehow, in some way, Gray made me like it. I rooted for Skye and Balthazar through the entire book. 3.5 stars.

[Michelle Madow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the Evernight series by Claudia Gray, so when I saw that Balthazar, a companion novel to the series, was coming out, I was super excited! Not only because I wanted more of the awesome world of vampires and wraiths that Claudia Gray created, but because Balthazar was one of my favorite characters in the Evernight series! It was clear in Evernight that Bianca and Lucas were meant to be together, but that didn't stop me from feeling bad for Balthazar and wanting him to have an awesome love story of his own. And in Balthazar, that's exactly what he gets!

The Evernight series was told first person from Bianca's point of view, and Balthazar is different in that it is told third person alternating from Bathazar and Skye's point of views. I loved this because I felt like as a reader I was able to understand their relationship more fully. I also enjoyed Skye's character, and am glad I "got to know her" in this book! She's spunky, smart, and relatable. She's an average teen thrown into a crazy situation, and I like how despite how she's in the midst of a vampire crisis, she's still relatable on a teenage level.

Now, moving onto Balthazar! W-o-w! I love him even MORE after reading this book! I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who are going to read the book, but we learn so much about Balthazar's history, delving deeper into his life before becoming a vampire and the years between his becoming a vampire and going to Evernight. I also loved reading his present day sections, where the reader gets to see him fall for Skye!

For those of you who are also huge Evernight fans, there are cameos in Balthazar from Bianca, Lucas, and Clementine. But you should also know that Balthazar is different from Evernight, since it takes place in a normal public high school. I loved it just as much as all the other books in this awesome series, and am hoping that Claudia Gray continues to write books about the characters from the incredible world she created.