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Review

WHAT. DID. I. JUST. READ????

Seriously. Did that just happen?

I can’t…

Uuugghhhhhh.

This is the 21st book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and as a fangirl from way back in the early days, you think I would know what to expect by now. Apparently not. J.R. Ward has thrown us a loop with this one, to the point where the completely random and unnecessary events from the end of the book have overshadowed pretty much everything else that happened in the story, and left me feeling completely traumatised.

It’s days later, and I still feel sad. I don’t want to finish a book feeling like this.

But anyway, my review.

This is Lassiter’s long-awaited story. As a flamboyantly fabulous side-character in so many of the earlier books, I was really looking forward to seeing him as a leading man. I wanted to see how Ward would balance Lassiter’s Golden Girl’s loving, David Lee-Roth wannabe style with the alpha hero that we’re used to with the series. And while we did see moments of fierce protectiveness, I’ve gotta say, I feel like Lassiter has been let down.

Where was the fun, playful Lassiter? I get that his situation has changed, that he’s been through trauma, but in this book he felt so bland, and had so little personality. I wanted to know more about his backstory… nope. I wanted to watch him fall in love… nope. I wanted to see him spend time with Rahvyn, introducing her to his world, while at the same time learning her about her and her history. Nope, nope, and nope. I feel like I don’t understand these characters any better than I did before I read this book. In fact, I have more questions!

We saw Lassiter and Rahvyn fall into first-glance, supernatural soulmate, insta-love in the last book, and though they sort of went their separate ways, this book has them coming back together and picking up where they left off. There are sweet moments, but it feels like the love story exists in the background of everything else that is going on in the book, just sort of flopping along limply. And that’s not what I want from my BDB romance!

Instead, we get a whole heap of other things going on:

• Davina – I’m over it. Totally. She’s shallow and boring and is bringing nothing to the story.
• Lash – His return is an interesting twist. I think it’s clever to bring him back, because he has a history with the Brotherhood, which gives him an edge, and adds some interest to his motivations. But all of that feels brushed aside by the Brotherhood, who just accept that he’s back and go about their business.
• Davina and Lash – Worthy of their own statement here because while they each have their own thing going on, the two of them together are something else. Twisted and toxic, yes, but kind of intriguing, I have to say.
• Nate – he is struggling with the woman he loves rejecting him and moving on with somebody else, while at the same time coming to terms with how a supernatural intervention has left him forever changed.
• Wrath and Beth – now, this was more like it. I love our original couple, and loved getting a bit of insight into where they are at and how they are doing
• Oh yes, and on top of all of that, the Lessers are back *sigh*

But what didn’t it include? Why, EVERYBODY ELSE! The best part of a series featuring inter-connected characters is that you get to see those characters all the time. You get to watch them grow and change, you see them interacting with the new couple, and you see progression for them. In this series, you just don’t. When these books moved away from the original characters, the books used to include a secondary storyline for one of the first Brothers. Then it became obvious that it was the same few Brothers. Now, previous characters just cease to exist as actual characters (except for V), and are there just as background decoration. And in this book, it’s really noticeable. It’s sad, and I miss them.

And then that ending… just no.

Why, why, whyyyyyyyy? Why did Ward feel that she had to throw in unnecessary drama at the expense of some of her most beloved characters (those characters in particular!). Why? Just why? In a series where characters are brought back from death on a somewhat regular basis, the actual ‘event’ didn’t impact me that badly because I thought it wasn’t real. But why did it have to play out the way it did? Why didn’t Rahvyn do anything? She knew BEFOREHAND that something was going to happen! Why didn’t she stop it or warn anybody? And such a huge time skip? Why? I don’t understand!!! Why did they have to suffer for so long? I had to go back and listen to that epilogue again in case I missed something, but nope, still just as confused. And a little bit broken-hearted. And even more disappointed that we didn’t see how it impacted the other Brothers, or see them during the events at the end of the book. God, what a scene that would have been!

I’m disappointed at the way this book played out. I feel like Lassiter and Rahvyn were underplayed and cast aside in order to make way for the time skip just so we could get to the next generation books, and that ending… why?

Sadly disappointed, it was just ok – 2 stars.

 

Check out our Black Dagger Brotherhood page for more info on the series