Lover Avenged (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #7) in Alpha Heroes & Spitfire Heroines

Mar 12, 2009 Danielle The Book Huntress rated it it was amazing

Shelves: antihero, favorites, flawed-hero, vampire, owned-copy, criminal, bad-boy-rake-or-rogue, brotherhood, audiobook, medical-profession

I don't even know where to begin with this review. Like so many of Ward's other books, this book consumed my thoughts. Even when I wasn't reading it, I was pondering the interactions between the characters, hoping for the best, and dreading the worst that I felt was coming.

I don't know how the WARDen does it, but my love for this series and her writing grows even more all-consuming with each book. I do know that she understands the power of evoking emotions in the reader. I can't read any of he I don't even know where to begin with this review. Like so many of Ward's other books, this book consumed my thoughts. Even when I wasn't reading it, I was pondering the interactions between the characters, hoping for the best, and dreading the worst that I felt was coming.

I don't know how the WARDen does it, but my love for this series and her writing grows even more all-consuming with each book. I do know that she understands the power of evoking emotions in the reader. I can't read any of her books without getting my emotions involved in the process.

I loved Rehv before I read this book. I love him even more after reading this book. Rehv is a great example of why antiheroes are so compelling to me. He is a mass of contradictions and not predictable in the least. He is so sexy, so powerful, yet so vulnerable at the same time. He's no boy scout, but his does have honor and duty. He sacrificed himself again and again for those that he loved, even allowing some of them to think the worst of him. Inside he bore his loneliness like a burden he felt he deserved. I was glad that he had two families, his mother and sister, and Xhex, Trez, and i.am.

I didn't like the drugs, the violence, and the prostitution, but I could understand why Rehv and Xhex inhabited that dark world. They felt that this was the only place they belonged. Fortunately Rehv also has the tether of his family, although he has to live a lie for many, many years. Xhex doesn't even have that. The sympaths were as fascinating I thought they would be. Even though this book delved into that world, I'd be perfectly happy to read more about them. They manage to exude a menace that jumps off the page as I read about them.

Like most outstanding books, the scenes were vivid like a movie in my mind. I love the realism mixed with magic and the supernatural. I am in awe of the WARDen's imagination. She has taken an hip/upscale/urban motif, mixed with the culture and world of an ancient race, and created several love and relationship stories and put them all together into a delicious confection that is this book. But it's the three-dimensional characters that really seduce me. Even the casual characters manage to grab my notice and my interest.

I am so glad that Rehv found Ehlena. It was great seeing such a tough, isolated guy fall so hard and fast and give his heart away. The interactions between Rehv and Ehlena was sweet and romantic, but erotic at the same time. He really knows how to treat a woman with tenderness, to cherish her as though she is the only woman in the world. At times, I was worried that Ehlena didn't deserve his love and devotion, but she proved true and worthy of it. Ehlena is one tough, steadfast woman. Just what Rehv needs. And Rhev is what she needs as well. My heart can rest in peace that Rehv does have the love and acceptance he always secretly yearned for. I am happy that he has a deep, loving relationship with Bella, and is like a brother to the Brotherhood.

It was also nice to see more of Wrath and Beth interacting. As they were the first couple, some of my memories have faded. So reading about their relationship and how it has remained deep and true was really great. What the WARDen has done with Wrath was so well-executed and felt right although some might feel that it was a dark way to go.

John Matthew is at a really dark point in this book, and I vacillated between despair and rage at what he is doing to himself. But I am so excited to read his book when it comes out. I wish it was coming out sooner. I can't wait to see him come into his own and claim his shellan in Xhex.

Xhex is my girl. I love the woman. She is all over it. I enjoyed getting perspective on her emotions and her thoughts. Her loyalty to Rhev is unquestionable, and I know there is more to learn about that, as well as her past. I felt her sorrow as she tried to push JM away although she clearly loves and is as drawn to him as he is to her. The next book in the series is going to be awesome as we see what transpires with Xhex and JM and follow along from how things ended in this book.

The whole Lash situation promises to grow even more enthralling. At first I dismissed him as an immature bully. But he is proving to be a formidable antagonist. The way things will go down with him is going to be something else. He's evil as all get out, but he's a fascinating character. I think he will definitely prove to be the supervillain in this series. And boy did he go there at the end of this book. Let's just say it's going to be 'on' in the next book.

It was nice seeing the other brothers, but like the greedy BDB fan that I am, I wanted more of them. Short stories about other brothers and their shellans, please??? I miss Marissa and Cormia. Haven't seen much of them lately. More Butch, V, and Jane too. How about Rhage and Mary updates.

Ah, I never get enough of these books... Let this be a warning to you. Do not read these books if you want a life outside of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. ...more

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Dec 18, 2008 Shawna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2009-reads, favorite-romance-series, hh-limp-paraplegic-wheelchair, series-black-dagger-brotherhood, hero-besotted-so-smitten-its-sexy, i-read-no-longer-own-sold-swapped, hero-recluse-loner-lonewolf, hero-bad-boy-playboy-player, hero-silent-quiet-type-reticent, hero-bad-guy-ruthless-villainous

5+ stars – Vampire Romance

WOW...just...WOW! J. R. Ward is back with a vengeance (no pun intended).

I had every intention of being monetarily responsible and waiting for the paperback release, but I figured it would be like when I got behind on the TV show LOST and had to dodge all the water cooler and break room conversations every Thursday by covering my ears and singing la-la-la while getting my morning coffee in an attempt to avoid unwanted spoilers, which ultimately proved unsuccessful. So, I 5+ stars – Vampire Romance

WOW...just...WOW! J. R. Ward is back with a vengeance (no pun intended).

I had every intention of being monetarily responsible and waiting for the paperback release, but I figured it would be like when I got behind on the TV show LOST and had to dodge all the water cooler and break room conversations every Thursday by covering my ears and singing la-la-la while getting my morning coffee in an attempt to avoid unwanted spoilers, which ultimately proved unsuccessful. So, I gave in to my baser, weaker impulses, broke down at an airport Border’s bookstore, and forked over the $24.95 (plus...the cover is seriously kick-ass and so nice and glossy in hardback)....boy was it ever worth it! How could I have thought for even one minute that I’d be able to resist the immediate purchase of such an eagerly awaited release in what is probably the best paranormal/vampire romance series ever?!?!

For those of you with more willpower and restraint than me, who are sticking to your guns and waiting for the paperback or to get it from the library, don’t worry; I’ll try my best not to reveal any spoilers here.

“Lover Avenged” definitely makes up for the disappointment that was “Lover Enshrined” and clearly exhibits, at least in this reader’s modest opinion, why J.R. Ward is the top PNR Queen and ‘The Black Dagger Brotherhood’ series is unsurpassed.

One of the main reasons the BDB series is so utterly addicting and compelling is that the Brothers are all so flawed, fierce, unique, and complex, yet forge an unbreakable bond, have loads of fun and laughs, and incessantly rib each other, all while pimping in sexy leather, cruising in black SUVs and blasting gangster rap, kicking serious ‘lesser’ ass, and doting on their ‘shellans’ (mates/wives). And “Lover Avenged” has all the spellbinding elements that have made this series so superior in spades. It’s just phenomenal....and she brought back the humor, romance, and hot sex!!

Rehvenge is such a rich, multifaceted, and intriguing character, and he’s a reckoning force in the mesmerizing BDB world. Only Ward could make a swoon-worthy romantic hero/male of worth out of a mohawk-sporting, cane-yielding, sable-coat-wearing, drug-dealing pimp like Rehv.

“Lover Avenged” (and the entire BDB series) is flat-out awesomeness!! A big 5 stars! ...more

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Jun 22, 2021 Juliana Philippa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 0-own-avg-rating-3-point-8-plus, 0-own-over-500-pages, 0-own, romance-series, 0-own-as-kindle-ebook, 0-own-avg-rating-4-plus, 0-own-as-an-ebook, 2021-reads, romance, romance-paranormal

The thing was, they had something in common, something that crossed species lines and eclipsed social stratifications and bonded them together even though she would have denied it. She was lonely, too, and in the same way he was.

3.75 stars
I was very excited about Rehvenge's story, because talk about an anti-hero—he's half-symphath (who are basically manipulative murdering sociopaths), as well as a drug-dealer, pimp, and bookie. At this point, we've seen him do right by the Brotherhood multip ...more

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Mar 11, 2009 Romance Novel TV rated it it was amazing

Reviewed by Marisa O’Neill
Publisher: Penguin
5 Stars

A few years back, when I read Dark Lover (the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series), I thought, “this is a great book, I hope there will be more books about these characters”. I couldn’t begin to imagine or even hope that this series would be as epic in its scope as it has become. With Lover Avenged, J.R. Ward continues to prove why she has legions of fans that not only spend a great deal of time debating the fate and fortune of eac Reviewed by Marisa O’Neill
Publisher: Penguin
5 Stars

A few years back, when I read Dark Lover (the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series), I thought, “this is a great book, I hope there will be more books about these characters”. I couldn’t begin to imagine or even hope that this series would be as epic in its scope as it has become. With Lover Avenged, J.R. Ward continues to prove why she has legions of fans that not only spend a great deal of time debating the fate and fortune of each of her characters, but clamor and wait with bated breath for each new installment in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

As I’ve said before, the world Ms. Ward has created is rich, layered, inventive and complex. It is filled with characters that have finely crafted gradations of qualities and personas that reveal and unveil nuances which are not only specific to their individual stories but also contribute to the whole in a meaningful and purposeful way. The intricacies of each story meld together to create a whole that when seen from above create a landscape that is picture perfect. This is true of Lover Avenged, which is the story of Rehvenge.

Reading Lover Avenged was an emotional roller coaster, and because of the scope of this book I find it difficult to summarize the plot, so I’ll just give some highlights. I found myself crying (a lot), laughing (out loud) and sighing (dramatically). Truth be told, Rehvenge was never a character I paid much attention to. He played on the periphery of MY vision of the Brotherhood. He is half vampire and half symphath (a sub-species of the vampire race); he is the owner of the nightclub Zero-Sum, a drug dealer and a pimp. Not very redeemable qualities. Yet he’s also brother-in-law to Zsadist (Lover Awakened), which makes him family to the Brotherhood. In Lover Avenged J.R. Ward takes a character that I thought had no possible way of becoming a hero and makes him one. Simply put, he becomes a male of worth. Hard to do, I thought impossible, but word by word, chapter by chapter she does it. For all his pimped out, hard assed, drug dealing ways, he is a loving compassionate, son, brother, friend and lover. His internal fight between all that is good and all that is evil is an immense struggle you want him to win.

Rehvenge is tested every step of the way in this one. His identity as a symphath is threatened to be revealed and all that he has worked for is about to be destroyed. If he is outed as a symphath it means only one thing, banishment to the upstate symphath colony and living the rest of his very long life with a bunch of psychopathic soul eaters. Yet, banishment becomes his only option if he wants to protect the people he loves. What’s a half symp half vamp to do? He’s also tested when he meets the heroine, Ehlena. For me, one element of a good romance is when the hero and/or heroine give unselfishly to the people they love, no matter what; and that is what Ehlena and Rehv do for each other. Romantic? Absolutely. Heart breaking? Makes you want to weep. Riveting? Couldn’t put it down. Ehlena is worthy of the name heroine. Her strength, intelligence, courage and compassion, as well as her loyalty, are inspiring. How Rehv and Ehlena come together, how they fight for each other, each in very different ways is certainly one of the core elements of this book, but not the only one.

As with the past books in this series, Lover Avenged continues the over arching story line of the Vampire race and their fight to stay alive against the Lessening Society. This is one of the things that I love about this series. Each book contributes to the telling of this central plot point. Ms. Ward walks a fine line between revealing a clearer understanding of the intricacies that hold each character together while at the same time keeping you in suspense about how the overall conflict of the world will be resolved, and she does it with grace. So if you’re looking for a simple romance where the hero and heroine are the sole and only focus of the book, well, this ain’t it. Quite the contrary. It’s a big book, and by that I mean it continues to encompass and elaborate on what Ms. Ward started when she wrote the first book Dark Lover. Although the book is self contained and could be read as a stand alone, those of us who have read all the previous books in the series have the added pleasure of sitting down to a banquet with each successive book contributing to the entire experience.

In this installment we get a more in depth look at the Symphath culture and society and we also get a look at some surprising developments within the Brotherhood. Not all the brothers have a starring role, but there is enough of each of the brothers that you know for certain that they are all back and in the game fighting the good fight to save the race. There is much I won’t say here because I don’t want to spoil the experience for you. Let me just say that Wrath and Bella (cried a lot with this story line), Xhex and John (this story line near about broke my heart), Thor and Lash are all prominently featured. Surprises abound! Truths are revealed. And yes there is some serious avenging going on.

J.R. Ward continues to expose, nurture and cultivate this world one book at a time with powerful dialogue, exciting prose and dynamic characters that stay in your mind long after you’ve read the last page. The biting wit, the loving camaraderie, the explosive action and the romance are all in play here and kept this reader at the edge of her seat and wanting more.

...more

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Jun 12, 2009 Arlene rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorite-urban-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 21, 2009 Jacqueline Coleman rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2009, bdb

There was a lot of action and excitement in this book. I loved every word. BDB books are getting good.

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Jun 24, 2009 Stephanie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, pnr, jr-ward

First read 6/2009

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Shelves: vampire, favorite-vampire-books, top-parnomal-reads, j-r-ward

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