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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #109534 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 544 pages

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Customer Reviews

A Return to Form
Rehvenge has always seemed irredeemably bad, the brotherhood's drug dealer of choice and a decidedly seedy character. There have been hints throughout the series that he's not what he seems - his care for Bella, his sister, for instance; but a man of worth? I had never thought so.

J.R. Ward brilliantly liberates him from the shackles of evil here, painting him as a multifaceted character who would do anything to save the ones he loves - even if it means selling himself to the underworld. I was enthralled by his character. Granted, he's not a brother and neither is he warrior but he has the qualities that Zsadist charmed us with, that Rhage encapsulated - the best bits of the brothers drawn into one character and then twisted into their own unique being.

Half symphath half vampire Rehvenge fits into neither world completely. Symphaths are dangerous creatures, persecuted against and colonised by the vampires; because of this it is necessary for Rehv to hide his true nature and he exists in a web of lies. The web continues to spin when he meets Ehlena, a nurse who treats him for the side effects elicited from not allowing his symphath side to control him. His illness mirrors the symptoms of Parkinson's and he passes it off as such to most. Rightly or wrongly I found Rehv's limitations endearing; he needed a cane to walk and I suddenly found canes unapologetically sexy. There were scenes throughout the novel in which I felt heartbreakingly attached to him.

If Rehvenge is flawed darkness then Ehlena is pure light. She is a character who sees the good in everyone and everything and at her core wants to heal those who suffer. Disconnected from her race, having been born into vampire aristocracy and finding herself on hard times, she both understands and is understood by Rehv. The relationship she shares with her schizophrenic father is lovely and perhaps, in the end, is the reason she is able to accept every aspect of Rehv. Their courtship is delightful, strangely innocent and surprisingly so. Most endearingly it is almost `normal'.

As with previous novels in the series other characters are given plenty of page space. All of the brothers make an appearance at some point or another and it's good to see them back. I particularly enjoyed a subplot that involved Wrath and the developments in his and Beth's relationship. John and Tohrment appear throughout and I began to warm to John's character especially. For the first time I began to have faith in the new age of the brotherhood.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Ward back to her best after the disappointment of Lover Enshrined. Lover Avenged is more in keeping with the earlier novels as it gives equal time to romance and urban fantasy. While not without its flaws, it is sometimes hard to reconcile the drug dealer with the romantic hero, it would be churlish not to award Lover Avenged five stars. Those who have been following the Black Dagger Brotherhood will breathe a huge sigh of relief at finding them back on form and fighting fit.

Excellent book
I am not an over generous reviewer so to get 5 stars from me takes some doing. I am a great fan of the BDB books even the last one that got a lot of stick from other long time fans.
This is Rhevs book and I had wondered how I would take to him as the hero given that he is a murdering, drug dealing pimp, but JR Ward did a grand job of making him believable, sympathetic and vulnerable.
The first 100 pages was quite slow, with a lot of Wrath in it, but once the relationship with Ehlena comes into play, I got so engrossed I read until 1am. There is a lot of chemistry between them and she holds her own against a very alpha male. There is not much sex in the book, but enough.
Thorment starts to make his comeback and Wraths story continues. Also John figures, with Xhex being quite prominent in this story.
I did find the ending a little rushed and not as satisfying as I would like. There is a cliffhanging ending but about another character, not the leads.
There has been much debate about whether the BDB books are now urban fantasy instead of paranormal romance - are they? Admittedly there is not much of the explicit stuff but sufficient, and the characterisation is what drives these books. JR Ward is a quality writer and I look forward to her next book.

Better
Like the majority of readers the last book in the series was a disappointing transition to the new style and I can honestly say I was not looking forward to this book.

The previous books were read in one sitting (apart from Phurys) but Rev's book took me 3 days - not because I didn't enjoy it but because there was a lot to take in and I wanted to slowly absorb the differences between the earlier books and this new direction. This book is a clear demarcation between them and the blending of both styles was, for me, a success. The writing is tight, the hip hop style still working. The world that JRW has built is even clearer than before - loving it.

I won't spoil the story for you but suffice to say that Rev's journey is one you don't want to end, his interaction with Ehlena, Bella, his mother and even the brothers are brilliant.

One complaint, some of the abbreviations made no sense to me, it's either a UK thing or I'm denser than some but it doesn't detract from the scenes as you do get the context.
It was good to see the brothers back together although the interaction with their shellans was minimal to non existent apart from Beth. Mary has a part but there were no descriptions of her just her words so she wasn't totally fleshed out. In this new world that JRW is building, perhaps more interaction with the shellans - how are their lives post-mating? After all, they are such an integral part of their male why shouldn't they be included as after all they are also part of this fight.

I have given this 4 stars as there is still someway to go and although I did enjoy this book I'm not entirely sure if it's ready for hardback but I will buy the next in the series as apart from the odd complaint, I hope that it continues on this new and exciting direction.