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Archive for April, 2012

Paranormal Romance Review – Lover Reborn

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

 

Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward

 

Review by Maria (SassenachD)

 

Well, it took me about 12 hours total reading time (Since I picked it up on March 27 at 3:30 pm)to be dragged through an emotional rollercoaster ride of some 592 pages. Did I enjoy this book? Yes and no.  I liked it much better than Lover Unleashed but this book is still did not give this reader the kick in the pants as the earlier ones did.  In the Companion Book, Ward had mentioned that Tohr’s book would be the end of the BDB series, Hmmmmm….

Lover Reborn (Book 10 in the BDB series) has 4 main story lines going: Tohr & No ‘One with Lassiter for the comic relief and voice of reason, John & Xhex, John & Tohr, Xcor with the Band of Bastards (from Lover Unleashed)who are the new baddies in town and a mini-plot with Qhuinn, Layla, Blay and Saxton.  Wrath, Beth, Jane and Manny are there.  Rhev, Butch, Rhage, Phury, Marissa and Payne get very short word time, Mary and Cormia might have a sentence.
Tohrment is still recovering from the loss of his Wellsie and his unborn child. Lassiter is trying to get him to move on in his life and it felt like No ‘One is there for convenience sake, Un-mated female.  Lassiter is also trying to make nice with the Big Guy upstairs and move on in his life as well. No ‘One deals with her past demons and becomes a stronger woman throughout the story. Thank goodness, her martyrdom was getting on my nerves. I was happy with the growing relationship with between her and Xhex. They have some good Mother-daughter time. By-the-Way, her true name is revealed.  Lassiter explains to Tohr about the In-Between and how we all have our own personal dhunhd (hell) to deal with.  Be prepared to experience various emotions. I cried, like a girl, and then I laughed, mostly at Lassiter.  I would love to hang with that guy.  Then I bawled my eyes out…but found closure with Wellsie’s Into the Fade ceremony.

JohnMatthew and Xhex are still in their newlywed stage. Early in the book during a battle, Xhex becomes injured and JM freaks out.  He experiences a small part of what Tohr, his adoptive father, is going through emotionally with the loss of his beloved mate Wellsie.  JM does not want that to happen to Xhex. EVER. AGAIN. A meeting is called to discuss the matters at hand and Xhex’s injury comes up. The brothers look to JM as the Bonded Male to lay the law down about Xhex fighting again. Xhex, being the spunky bad-ass assassin I so love, does not take the decision of her hellren very well.

I love JohnMatthew. I can identify with him on a very personal level, which I won’t get into here.  But his means of communication via American Sign Language (ASL) and texting is very much like my own. I have been signing since I was 8 and have a degree in Interpreting from Gallaudet. I work in a Deaf School and Interpret. 80% of my day is communicating by ASL. There is a hot scene where JM and Xhex hook up at the Iron Maiden (Trez and iAm’s) club. In her office, no interpreting required…

Readers will also find the situation of the Layla/Quinn/Blay like watching an episode of Maury. Lassiter would totally dig on it.  I don’t like it, but hey, that’s what keeps us as readers involved in the story. Ward really fired up my emotions on that one. Be prepared for a few surprises! Xcor and his merry men set up the Band of Bastards (BoB) and along with the glymera had to replace what the Lessers were to the series. A murder attempt is made on one of the Brothers.  I am curious to see this Vampire against Vampire play out…Where is the Virgin Scribe when you need her? True.

Honestly, I don’t think that this will be the end of the BDB. I think that it is going into a new direction. I’m not sure I like it. Feel Me?  I am tolerating it, for the sake of the Brothers.  I do really wish there was more personal interaction between everyone. I mean, they all live in that blasted mansion, what?  No side stories with the females together? No, glimpse into what little Nalla is up to?  I am wondering if there are too many characters now to keep track of, with the introduction of the BoB, Assail (the new drug dealer), Lassiter on the scene and Hey! What happen to that vampire living in the south?  Some of the earlier characters, in my opinion, haven’t been developed and are just fading away.  Ward could possibly do short stories like “Father Mine” with the other members of the household. I would be cool with that.

All in all, I still am fanatical about the series and do give it high praises. I just am not sure where Ward is taking us. I will just have to keep reading her boards to stay abreast of any new developments. I am glad there is closure and several rebirths as the title states.  And yes, I do have to remember that these characters aren’t real.

I strongly suggest that you read these books in order, otherwise you will be lost.

Ani (goddessani) pointed out to me that she thinks this cover (Tohr’s cover) is the most real looking in that it only shows Tohr.  Not one of those hokey covers where the couple is entwined.  This is, regardless of all the side stories, Tohr’s story.

Rhevenge’s book appears real as well, I love his Amethyst eyes

Poetry Review – Poems for Men Who Dream of Lolita

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

Poems For Men Who Dream of Lolita by Kim Morrissey

Review by Rebecca (rocky1)

 

Poems for Men who Dream of Lolita  by Kim Morrisey touches on what we do not get to see in the infamous novel originally written by Vladimir Nabokov-Lolita and her actual experiences.

In this book of poetry, we are privy to her thoughts, feelings and life, both before meeting the notorious Humbert Humbert, during her time with him in their travels and daily life, her experience escaping Humbert and into the arms of Claire Quilty, and finally, leaving Quilty and working in a diner, where she meets her future husband, Richard.

Here, we are able to see Lolita as an actual human being-not necessarily the “bad girl” or “seductive nymphet” Humbert portrays her as. Rather, we are able to see her as a flesh-and-blood girl who is despised at by her mother, longs for love, and has an inquiring mind of the world and people around her. Her thoughts on love and life are present throughout each poem. The poems are not tedious or overly long, and even those who do not read a lot of poetry would find this easy to digest. One does not have to have read Lolita by Nabokov, but it does help to give a better understanding of the characters and settings.

I especially enjoyed being able to see the aspects of her we are not permitted to see in the original novel, such as her disappointment in Quilty and the life he offers her, becoming pregnant with Richard’s child, getting married, and being a housewife.

Fans of the novel should not miss this intimate experience with an unlikely heroine.

Mystery Monday – The Far Side of the Dollar

Monday, April 2nd, 2012

The Far Side of the Dollar by Ross Macdonald

 

Review by Matt (BuffaloSavage)

 

Predictably enough, the plot of the 11th Lew Archer novel revolves around the elements that we expect in Macdonald’s mysteries.

Troubled youth.

Clueless parents.

Uncertain paternity.

Secrets.

Archer, a former troubled teen himself before the crucible of Okinawa, rather shows his middle-age by counseling tolerance and patience when dealing with seemingly bizarre teenage behavior. The middle class adults with the blues are entirely plausible but so are the crooks in Macdonald’s.

In this one the crook is sadistic creep that was made that way by his father, a nut who did not spare the rod and thus created a thug.

Macdonald is at the top his game here. His ability to create characters is awesome, as his returning to theme of fathers and how much suffering they create when they fail their sons.