The King by JR Ward

The King by J.R. Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am not overstating to say that the release of the new Black Dagger Brotherhood series book is a highlight of my spring, and I view it as JR Ward's present to me for my birthday! That said, let's get to my review:


**Disclaimer: This review is as spoiler-free as I could make it!

Wrath, Son of Wrath and Beth Randall have come a long way since Dark Lover, and it's been my pleasure to accompany them on the ride!

When I first read Dark Lover (about eight years ago), I will be honest in saying that my biggest draw was not Wrath or Beth, but the world and the storyline of the Black Dagger Brotherhood and the strange world within a world of Caldwell, New York. While I enjoyed their relationship, it didn’t blow me away, and neither character is my favorite in this series. However, I knew I was going to keep reading the series, and boy am I glad.

With The King, I feel that an immensely important chapter has been closed in the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and it makes me happy because I feel that all the Brothers and their Shellans have found peace and the close bond of family, drawing close friends into their net. I also feel a sense of excitement in knowing that the storyline can continue and branch off in different ways and directions, and the waters seem uncharted. While there are tendrils that Ms. Ward has planted in this novel, I honestly don't feel I can predict too much about what is coming next. It's going to be fun to see where the story leads, and I am in no way ready for this series to end.

Character Thoughts:

Wrath

I feel we got to see some added depth to Wrath that was very good for expanding my view and appreciation of the King. He came to terms with some major hurts and issues he was facing, and I felt the flashbacks were a crucial aspect of the storyline. Wrath always regretted that he could not save his parents and he divorced himself from the concept of family and his legacy so long out of a sense of fear and guilt. In this book, he came to terms with his past and how his future did not have to be governed or hemmed in by fear. I loved his evolution as a King and what that responsibility came to mean for him. It was joyous for him to get everything he needed, but didn't even realize he wanted. Even though I know things didn't end well for his parents, their powerful love for each other and their son was still inspiring to me.

Beth

Beth's storyline was thought-provoking. She was all over the place emotionally, and I understand why. I feel that she was at some of her deepest lows and her highest highs both in this book. While the story is about her, as Wrath's shellen, I think that more of the story was about Wrath. Her role seems more peripheral, but in a pivotal way. I still enjoyed reading about her character journey in this book. Beth is the best Queen for the race, and I can think of no other shellan to stand at Wrath's side.

Beth and John Matthew

I think this book explored their relationship in a more satisfactory fashion than any of the proceeding books. They know they have each other's backs, and the readers as well. Also, it shows that although you may have your desired life partner, you also need the connection of family (blood and found). I almost thought the thing Ward said would never happen was going to happen, but it turns out that it wasn't necessary. I like the way the story unfolds instead. That John Matthew remains his own person, and his relationships with others aren’t hinged on his secret heritage.

Xcor

Xcor remains a complicated male, not quite likable in many moments, and captivating and deeply sympathetic in others. Since I like my characters complex, he definitely has my interest, and he may turn out to be a new favorite of mine in this series. He remains a wild card in this new series arc, his behavior not the slightest bit predictable. To his great surprise, his feelings for a certain Chosen have open closed off parts of his psyche, and this cannot be a bad thing at all. I think he will have a potential enemy in his own nest, but he’s not unaware of that.

Layla

Layla is on shaky ground, but she is making her own choices and defining herself as a female. In her own way, she may have helped to avert a war that wasn’t going to end well, and that’s a good thing. I’m happy about that. I’m very excited to see where the story leads her next.

Assail and Sola

Assail is probably the most amoral of the lead characters in this series to date. His behavior chilled me at times, but he was also very sweet in others to Sola and her grandmother. It’s hard to know what to make of him. I hope we see more of his viewpoint. I can’t believe their road ends here. Sola’s in a place where she has to deny the desires of the heart. How long will she be able to tune out the siren call of her unwise feelings for Assail, who logically seems like a ‘very bad man?'

The Shadows: Trez and iAm

I am jubilant at the expansion of their storyline. These two promise to be a gamechanger in the series. We will finally explore the world of the s’Hisbe, and what a fascinating world it is. Trez has been running from his past for a long, long time, dragging his brother iAm along for the bumpy ride, as iAm has ever been his self-appointed guardian. iAm will soon step out of his brother’s shadow and find his own destiny, since Trez must soon face the music. Trez’s character is both repellant and alluring. He breaks my heart in many ways, but I feel hope for his future. I am drawn into this exploration of the dark path he has walked. The Shadows, once merely loyal allies of the Sympath King, have their own grand tale to be told.

Selena

I didn’t expect her secret struggle at all. Another case of ‘keep reading’ to see how she will get her happy ending. And she had better!

The Usual Suspects

It's always a pleasure to see the various characters who have had their books, and at the same time, I want more of them. I don't think the WARDen could ever sate my desire for enough of each character, honestly.

Overall Thoughts

JR Ward, like every other author, has her own distinctive voice. There are aspects to her storytelling that turn off some readers. While I can see where she can overdo some of her affectations (like the brand name dropping and the copious use of slang), I love reading her writing. I feel that her depiction of the ancient culture of the vampires and their various subspecies is very poetic and dramatic, like an epic in its own way. Her romantic exposition lushly romantic and deeply sensual. It wraps around me like the dark spices her bonded males exude for their mates. Her tendency to adapt an urban vibe doesn’t bother me, because I think it’s an interesting juxtaposition to the very antiquated rituals of the vampires. While I can’t deny that the Black Dagger Brotherhood is at its heart a soap opera (not a bad thing in itself), it’s an enthralling one that draws me in and doesn’t let go of me until I read the last page (although the stories and characters continue to linger deep in the recesses of my imagination long after I finish the books). I feel like the Brothers, their shellans, and their friends/associations are part of my family, and each book release is like a yearly family reunion that I don’t dare miss. If only I was as excited to go to my real life family reunions!

I’m sure that I could nitpick about the things I felt could have been better written, but I don’t want to. It won’t make me feel I wrote a better review, and I’m not sure it would change my rating at all. I just want to bask in the glow of a new release of one of my top three series. I don’t drink JR Ward Kool-Aid, but I certainly enjoy her fine literary comestibles.

**The countdown has begun until next year’s release.**





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The Savage Fortress by Sarwat Chadda

The Savage Fortress by Sarwat Chadda

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I first became acquainted with Sarwat Chadda when I read Devil's Kiss, and I knew he was an author I wanted to follow.  Chadda has switched gears slightly, writing for the MG/Juvenile group with this series, and with a male lead.  He has also set his book in India, I believe that he was drawing in some degree from his own heritage.  With The Savage Fortress, Mr. Chadda has written an involving read quite full of darkness and danger, and incredible heroism at its center.

General Synopsis

Ash Mistry is an English boy of Indian descent.  He gains the opportunity to explore the land of his parents' birth when he goes to stay with his aunt and uncle in India.  Ash doesn't care much for India, despite his romantic hopes. It's hot, dirty, and basic in amenities.  He'd rather be at home in England, with his videogames and his friends.  I could identify with Ash in that I hate being hot and dirty, and the descriptions of India in that sense make me question whether I would enjoy my first experience with it any better than Ash does. However, Ash finds his destiny and comes to life in a way that staying in England never would have provided.

When his uncle gets the opportunity to translate a scroll for the very rich Englishman, Lord Alexander Savage, Ash encounters evils right out of Indian legend and folklore.  For Lord Savage is a wicked magician cursed with immortality in a decaying body, and surrounded by blood-thirsty rakshasa creatures (rakshasa is a general term for demons who can have a variety of animal/human forms).  Ash begs his uncle to have nothing to do with the man and his dark enterprises, but his uncle doesn't believe him.  Ash falls in a deep hole at an archeology site funded by Lord Savage, and pricks his finger on an ancient arrow that connects him to the power of an ancient god, whose power belongs to the wielder of the arrow, which is called an astra. 

Things go downhill from here and tragedy results in Ash and his young sister Lucky being on the run for their lives.  An ancient holy man and his strange companion intervene, and guide Ash closer to his destiny as the wielder of the astra, and the only person who can stand in the way of Lord Savage's wicked intentions.

My Thoughts

Mr. Chadda is definitely in touch with the child part of himself.  He understands that kids want adventure and wonder, but don't always have awareness of what comes along with the fun parts.  Ash is like a stand-in for the thirteen-year-old self of older readers, or the young readers who read this book. It's a case of "Be careful what you wish for."  We can't even know how dark our world is until we face it head on.  Ash encounters things that made my hair stand on end.  And the author is almost gleeful in describing the gore and violence. Not too much for a MG book, although I think the age restriction should be 13 or older, honestly. I could see this book causing nightmares to a younger reader.  I was hesitant to read it late at night, just in case.

There is no lack of adventure and danger, and Ash's character undergoes desired and necessary growth in character.  At the end of his harrowing experience, he is not unchanged.  He realizes that we are accountable for our actions and we do have responsibilities in our lives to do what's right even if it's hard.  While some readers might not be as accepting of the polytheistic elements of this story, I think this content can still be enjoyed as a fiction work, and I would recommend that parents investigate this book before letting their younger children read it. Even though I don't subscribe to the Hindu beliefs, I do think there are some good lessons to be learned about accountability and personal ethics.  As a lover of folklore and mythology, I thought the world-building was fascinating, and Chadda describes India vividly. I felt as though I was there.  He shows a lot of textures in the different peoples in this book, and I think it's good for readers to be exposed to multicultural characters and the diversity of our big, wide world.

Bruce Mann is an excellent narrator.  He utilizes a variety of tones and accents that fit this book very well. I especially liked how he speaks Ash's part.  Ash has a very distinctive way of speaking and he comes to life for me. I liked the kid a lot.  I'm glad my library had this in audio, even if took me ages to finish listening to it (not out of boredom, just time issues).

I'd recommend The Savage Fortress to 13 or older children (with parental approval) and older readers who enjoy MG/Juvenile fiction with folklore. I'm looking forward to more of Ash's adventures.



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Slash and Burn by Matt Hilton

Slash and Burn by Matt Hilton

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


I ended up picking up the third book in this series first with Slash and Burn, but it isn't detrimental to read these out of order.  The book is fairly self-contained, and anything you might need to know about Hunter's previous adventures are given as an aside or in short sentences that give an adequate frame of references to readers. So I think it's okay to start here.


Matt Hilton's Joe Hunter series is a good choice for action/adventure fans who like Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Robert Crais' Joe Pike, and the character of John Reese from the television show "Person of Interest".   If it's okay, I will make a few comparisons for readers like myself who can't enough of the tough guys who fight for the defenseless and kick some serious butt and take names (kickbutt artists).

Joe Hunter could probably sit down and have a cup of coffee with the other three characters.  They might even start a "I Don't Take Crap And I Hate Bullies" Club.  Henceforth, this concept will be abbreviated as IDTCAIHB in the rest of the review. In some ways, Joe Hunter also reminds me of Nate Garrett from Steve McHugh's urban fantasy series, in that he is a very lethal man who really doesn't like abusive people who take advantage of innocents.  He seems to be a little more plugged into life than Jack Reacher, but he shares his ability to be brutal when necessary, although he has more of a conscience and feels a bit more regretful when he gets ugly with people.  I think Hunter is much less of a loner than Reacher, and perhaps that is why he is more in touch with his emotions.  I think more than John Reese (also more emotionally healthy). Oh, I should add that if Nate's invited, he'd drink tea, since he hates coffee.

Like most of the members of the IDTCAIHB club, Hunter has few friends and emotional connections.  His besties are Rink and Harvey, both also tough as nails who have his back in a fight.  I think it made it more realistic that Hunter did need help.  He didn't come off as a superhero.  He's vulnerable to all the things that affect most human beings, and he doesn't have any super-skills that inhibits a reader's ability to suspend disbelief.  I like that he does have ethics/morals.  They are more extreme in that he believes he's responsible for righting wrongs and dealing with injustice, not the police, since the police often fail to do what needs doing (his thoughts, not necessarily mine). Somewhat like Batman, but with more willingness to kill.  While I am not advocating vigilantism, I can understand the reasons behind it (at least in fiction), and I admit that I am drawn to these types of characters who are there to help people and don't mind getting their hands dirty doing it.  It satisfies that part of me that gets angry when I see gross injustice in society around me, although my personal ethics don't agree with an eye for an eye kind of justice. Fiction is a safe exploration of themes and concepts we don't condone or espouse in life, or so I think.

I could only give this book 3.5 stars, because I found the prose to be a bit simplistic.  While I respect terse and concise writing, the writing seemed a bit facile at times.  Matt Hilton is a competent writer, but I feel that his voice could be more distinctive and as a result, show the added complexities of a man like Hunter. While Hunter might seem like a simple man, there is an underlying thought process that members of the IDTCAIHB club have that is worthy of exploring. And this story deals with some heavy events. Yes, this is an action/adventure book, so the goal is not deep character exploration. But that doesn't mean that a little sprinkled in amongst the butt-kicking scenes would go amiss.

I have found that many action/adventure books don't effectively convey a romantic relationship. This is true of Slash and Burn.  The embryonic emotional bond between Hunter and Kate went from 0 to 60 in too fast a time, and I couldn't quite buy into it.  I would have preferred if the author either kept it light or used the page scenes more effectively to build romantic tension.  Not enough to turn off romance hating readers, but enough to be believable.

The villains are not fluffy bunnies. Nope, they are varying degrees of morally bankrupt to seriously crazy. The Bolan twins are in a class all by themselves, really. I wasn't sure where the author was going, but the early pages of this book set up a suspenseful set of events that helps to drive the plot along.  Huffman is the type of sociopath that seems more socially acceptable than vicious psychopaths like the Bolan twins, but I actually feel he's worse, because of the deep rot concealed under his smooth, handsome, sharply-dressed exterior.  There are a few disposable villains that I feel could have been given more depth, since I don't like when an author sets up characters just to get killed off, aka Redshirts, to the Trekkies.  That might work on an episodic TV show, but not so well in a novel.  In general, I think the characterization could have used more development, and that's a major issue with this novel, along with the simplistic writing tone.

Readers looking for an escapist action/adventure novel with a IDTCAIHB kind of hero might consider adding Joe Hunter to their list of potential readers.  I think that Reacher, Pike and Nate Garrett's books are better written, but this was a good read, and I did like Hunter. He's worth adding to my action/adventure reading list. 



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Intangible Dream by Patricia Wilson

Intangible Dream by Patricia Wilson

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


Intangible Dream is the kind of Harlequin Presents that old-school fans will enjoy.  Despite the lack of descriptive love scenes, there is plenty of passion in this novel.  And enough true love to make a diehard romantic sigh when they finish the last sentence.

It has a strong, fascinating hero who's pretty much obsessed with the heroine.  Readers who love heroes who are stone cold in love with the heroine will find this book very romantic and James irresistible.  Wilson maintains the tension of the reader sensing the hero's feelings, although we don't get his point of view.  You feel like Gemma has underestimated his feelings for her, even though you don't find out how much until later on. Despite that, he conveys just enough and says enough to make it clear that he's crazy about Gemma.  While Gemma puts up quite a fight against falling in love with James and into his plans for her, I could understand her reasons, even though I knew just how crazy James was about her.  She was a bit too hurtful at times, although I think it was because she felt like she was a mouse caught in the lion's paws, out of self-defense.

Gemma has a sweet shyness and awkwardness about that I found really appealing.  I could definitely see myself in her shoes, especially when I was younger.  I am sure I would feel a bit overwhelmed by James' powerful personality, especially if I was youngish and very sheltered by an overprotective father (she's a very sheltered 24-yr-old) .  The scenes in which James teases Gemma and draws her out of her shell are really appealing.  They have a warmth and made me smile.  Some readers don't care for young and innocent heroines, but they don't bother me, especially if their naivety makes sense and feels authentic.  While Gemma is definitely naive, she wants to gain some agency in her life, and she has a lot of courage considering.  After a life of being in a gilded cage with her dad, she doesn't want to change it to a gold cage as James' trophy wife.  When she realizes his love is genuine and that she feels the same, that makes a big difference to her, and it shows in the denouement.

I think this might be one of my favorites by this author so far. I think James is a Class A Stalkerific hero (shows the possessive/jealous/obsessed traits I find a guilty pleasure, but not in a really psycho way that's too disturbing).  I also liked Gemma a lot. They make a good couple and they made me root for things to work out for them.  I recommend this to fans of the older Harlequin Presents, and for any fan of stalkerific romance novel heroes.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.



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Baltimore, Volume 3: A Passing Stranger and Other Stories by Mike Mignola/Christopher Golden

Baltimore, Vol. 3: A Passing Stranger and Other Stories by Mike Mignola

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A good tertiary addition to the Baltimore graphic novel series.  Readers who love classic horror fiction can't help but enjoy this series, and this one just cements the classic horror sensibility of the work by Mignola and Golden.  Forgive the pun, but they are a bit of a Golden Team for me.  I think their writing is seamless where I can't figure out which part Mignola wrote and what was written by Golden. The artwork is sober and dark in color, matching the unrelenting darkness of the literary tone of the stories.  Baltimore is a lone hunter who travels with one goal in mind: finding Haigus, the vampire who turned him and destroyed his family. Along the way, he will destroy evil he encounters. His relationship with God is complicated. He still calls him Lord, but he has a palpable anger towards Him. Baltimore seethes with it. He shakes his fists at God, but doesn't curse him. He only asks that he be left alone to seek his vengeance. To my mind, God manages for him to be in the right place at the right time, a fierce warrior against darkness and evil creatures of all kinds.  I am not saying I like an invincible hero all the time, but I appreciate how Baltimore always ends up in tight spots where I would expect him to be a goner, but he manages to survive, even if he adds a few more scars to the landscape of his body and face.

It's hard to rate this as a good book, in the sense that it's not at all feel-good.  It's very depressing in a lot of ways. The vampire plague has left destruction in every place, and all manner of foul creatures prey on the humans who manage to survive the plague and aren't turned into vampires.  So, no, it's not an uplifting read. However, the writing and the artwork are beautiful and has a penetrating effect on me as I read.  An excellent example of how successful the graphic novel medium can be for storytelling.  And since I don't get to read much Gothic/classic horror, lately, it satisfies my palate for the stories in a quick reading format, and the art-lover/artist in me.

I'm ever so grateful that I am able to get this from my library. These volumes would cost a pretty penny to buy new.

So, yes, I do recommend it to readers who aren't averse to a dark read.  It's violent and at times visceral, but not at all over the top or graphic.  As I said earlier in the review, it has the Gothic and Classic horror sensibility that any fans of 18th-early 20th century horror will appreciate. 

Four well-deserved stars.



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