Lover Reborn

Lover Reborn   

by J.R. Ward is part of her compelling series, 'The Black Dagger Brotherhood'.  These books are not for the squeamish and should be read by adults only but they are definitely an impressive read.  At first I thought the names were a bit too cutesy...Zsadist, Tohrment, Xhex, etc. but Ms Ward has done a fantastic job of melding the name and the storyline to make memorable characters.  It is recommended that one start with the beginning of the series, Dark Lover, which introduces a complex society of vampires who have a rather archaic ruling structure.  The Brotherhood is determined to protect their entire infrastructure which is under attack but none of them is entirely whole in their own right, ranging from a vision defect to muteness, addictions and various other conditions.  The intensity with which these beings fight and love and the complicated lives that they lead keep the reader fascinated but be forewarned that these are not light and airy stories, addictive yes...but not fluffy happy ever after tales.  My review for Lover Reborn is at this link under ELF2060.  A 'yes, this was helpful' vote is always appreciated.

And...Happy Mother's Day to those for whom it is appropriate!

Envy by J.R. Ward and Zynga's Dream Zoo

J.R. Ward's Envy is the third in the series that started with Covet and Crave and continues the struggle between good and evil epitomized by Jim Heron who is desperate to rescue the sacrificed Sissy, perhaps at the expense of any of his other goals.  Detective Thomas (Veck) del Vecchio has struggled against the stigma of having a infamous father all of his life and becomes the nexus of the next contest between Heron and the demon Devina.  The series necessarily will be seven novels long since that is the number of souls that comprise the "winner takes all" contest that will determine the fate of everyone.  There were several odd detours taken during this tale and I was very disappointed in one of the startling developments.  I don't find this series quite as gripping as Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood (or BDB as it is affectionately labelled) but it is starting to have a greater depth.  There are pretty graphic sex scenes that characterize this author's works but there are some intriguing insights into a couple of the characters revealed.  My Goodreads review is at this link

It's been a hectic week since there is all of the catching up that has to be done when one goes out of town but I have also finally succumbed to the allure of something called "Dream Zoo" by Zynga.  Now, I am already a "Words with Friends" addict and that site keeps adding new games to try but I have mostly resisted (yes, I will play "Hanging with Friends" but reluctantly).  I am not on Facebook yet although I am slowly contemplating joining if only because all of my favorite restaurants seem to be offering their coupons and many authors sponsor contests only on those venues so I have never gotten addicted to Farmville although my best friend is somewhat of a Farmville widow so I know about the game even if I haven't played it.  I had no trouble resisting until Zynga came out with the zoo!  Unfortunately, mine is not designed as well as some others...I thought it would be only logical to position the predators away from the prey animals but evidently geographical zoning is what is considered important.  Nevertheless, I am happy to announce that I have a thriving virtual zoo stocked with giraffes, rhinos, jaguars, cheetahs, bobcats, meerkats, lemurs, baboons, koalas, zebras, monkeys, chameleons, toucans, kangaroos, ostriches and gazelles.  A pretty major collection in only 48 hours if I do say so myself!  Now, if only I could figure out why my back is killing me since all of the work is virtual, lol.