Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 6)

I, like everyone else, went into this book expecting Phury's love story. What I got was a bunch of set-up for everyone else's stories and very little of Phury's. (Maybe a third of the total book is about them, and that's being generous.) Not that the rest wasn't interesting, it was written in Wards typical riveting style that's made her so wildly popular. But I felt completely let down! I don't mind an author changing genres, but does it have to be mid-series? I'm beginning to wonder if her plan all along was to suck us in under the guise of paranormal romance, build up a following, and then switch to what she really wanted to do and that's obviously urban fantasy. (After all, how many urban fantasy books do you really see on the bestseller lists?) Interestingly enough, her last book that actually said paranormal romance was lover revealed. (Butch's story) Her last two just said novel on the spine. Of course I noticed this after the fact.

But setting all that aside, there were a couple other annoyance factors in this book and with this author. First, the whole gay/bi-sexual storyline between Blay and Quinn. Enough with that already! It annoyed me when she went that route with Vishous and Butch too! For one thing, I'm willing to bet that 99% of her fanbase are hetero women. News flash Ms. Ward! Boy on Boy love does not do anything for us! I don't find it offensive, merely irritating and preachy. If Ward wants to be an advocate for gay rights than by all means do so! But leave your social and political points of view out of your books. I just want to be entertained not preached at! The other annoyance is the truck-load of hip-hop slang that had to be waded through. I know that this has been her style in this series, but there was enough in this book to choke a horse and it felt like she was really reaching to include it!

Yet even with all that being said It was still a fascinating and compelling read, thus the three stars. I am, however, irritated at Wards self- indulgence with this whole Black Dagger Brotherhood insiders Guide. Just put the next novel out already! I want to decide weather or not I'll continue to read this series. I'm giving it one more chance, and if the next one continues in the same vane I'm done with J.R. Ward! (Sounds like I'm not the only one!)

I enjoyed this book largely because I've read all the previous ones so it was fun just visiting all of my favorite characters. It's sadly lacking as far as romance, but I like all genres of books, so it was still a good read for me. I just wouldn't recommend it for anyone that expects it to be all about Phury and the hot-steamy romance you would expect from a centuries-old virgin. But loved the development of John's story and can't wait for a book to come out that's more focused on him!

I've had this book since it first came out. I read it the first time and yes, I was grinding my teeth saying "Come on! Where're Cormia and Phury in this thing? Would they get to it Already!!!!" By the end I was a bit frustrated. But I learned my lesson with Lover Unbound. I was quick to judge that one too. Then I let it sit for a couple of months and went back to it and read it again minus my own pre-conceived notions of what V's story should be like and - WOW 5 FRIGGIN STARS! Lover Enshrined is exactly the same. I read it again - minus what I WANTED for Phury and by the end I was thinking "OMG - Look what she's done with these characters!"

I think everyone is forgetting that the BDB caught our interest because it felt "real." The characters were "in your face" The emotional roller coaster was intense - and it still is. Ms Ward writes her "romance" novels around the brother and his particular issues. Wrath and Rhage didn't really have as much personal baggage as the other brothers. Their romances could center mainly on them and their women. Z, V, and Butch each had to deal with various types of abuse - which they dealt with in their manner. Phury's abuse was an abuse of denial, of absence, of a lack of action - and that is what Ms. Ward dealt with in this book. Poor Phury was denied everything to the point where he thought he was worthy of nothing so he gave everything.

We all wanted Phury to have some "heroic" story where he does something wonderful and gets the accolades that he deserves; where he loses himself to bonding with some woman and feels the all-consuming passion that the others have felt. WE WANTED TO SEE HIM BREAK OUT! But that is not Phury's reality. Phury's a drug addict - and it didn't seem like a big deal in the other books - just some red smoke - just some weed. But that's the way of addicts. When do they loose control? How does one know - when one has access to unlimited funds - does it show? We were gritting our teeth in frustration at his inaction. Anyone who has ever had to deal with a drug addict knows of that feeling of frustration that says "Why will they not just get it together like a normal human being?!!"

Phury was also a celibate for 200 years - by choice - by conviction. He denied himself any physical pleasure just as Z had denied himself food. Phury would not/could not have just abandoned that a third of the way through the book - even to titillate us readers. First, he thought that he was bonded to Bella even though he had the bonded "mine" reaction when he first saw Cormia in LU. Also, getting physical with Cormia held such overwhelming ramifications for the entire vampire race that Phury was paralyzed by inaction. He thought he was so unworthy that he was willing to sacrifice his mate to save her from himself - just as Z did with Bella. Phury's lack of a sense of self was also a mirror image to Z's. Again - he was abused through denial - so Phury was even denied acknowledgement of the depth of his pain by those around him. Also mirroring Z, Phury's outlet for his pain was self-abuse. Like any drug addict who has to reach rock bottom before they straighten out, Phury had to get almost to the end of the book and the ruin of his life - when it was almost too late - to recognise that he couldn't lose Cormia.

Kudos to Ms Ward!!! She doesn't just give her readers the simple happily-ever-after romances that we think we want. She gives a gritty "raw" paranormal romance full of the complexity of human..er vampire character. She doesn't treat the couple like they're an island all on their own - their relationship has to work within the boundaries of the world in which they find themselves.

I wonder how much psychological research she does to prepare for her books. She has built this series into a tightly packed emotion-filled ride. The characters are so well-developed that we "know" them. We fly with them when they reach their highs and cry and cringe with them when they reach their lows. I am definitely on board for the next book and can't wait for Tohrment, John, and Rehvenge to have their own books.

One a year is not enough!!!

Ok so Phury is the celibate, I knew that going in, but was still disappointed it took him sooooo long to finally lose his virginity. Missed the Brothers' points of view too. Still love the series, and the stories. I am still anticipating the next book that comes out in 09? This is my favorite series by far, but this isn't my favorite book. Phury infuriates me sometimes but he is who he is, people shouldn't dislike the book because he does things others don't agree with. I felt sympathetic towards him, poor guy, but wished he'd get on with life sometimes. The end had me in tears but in a good way. Still love the Brothers.

To be honest, I dreaded Phury's book. IMHO Ms Ward painted herself a bit in the corner with that brother. Just imagine - a whole book dedicated to this bland character, so full of self pity.
But it wasn't so bad after all. OK, I hated "the wizard" and I still can't see anything in Phury, sad history and all, and I am a bit bored by Cormia BUT:
The rest (which is really 2/3) of LE is great. Very well thought out, good character developement (JM, Quhinn and Blay), a lot of new stories begun and some old unrevelled.
Another good point: Inner voices (not the wizard ... but rather the "narrator voice", the point of view - like Mr. D) is done superbly. English is not my first language and it is always a pleasure to read different styles of language and slang.
So, I am looking forward to Thor's book, and think I might even stomach the Reverent's.