I'm finally out from my under my reading rock. It took me a few days to read Lover Reborn. Then I had to sit with it. Ward is not a light weight read. But I finally sat down and wrote my review. I hope you all enjoy it, and if you haven't read this book, this review is spoiler free. Some teases maybe, but pretty unrevealing about the plot. Enjoy!
Summary
Ever since the death of his shellan, Tohrment is a heartbroken shadow of the vampire leader he once was. Brought back to the Brotherhood by a self-serving fallen angel, he fights again with ruthless vengeance- and is unprepared for a new tragedy. Seeing his beloved in dreams—trapped in a cold, desolate netherworld—he turns to the angel to save his former mate, only to despair at the path he himself must take to set her free. As war with the lessers rages, and a new clan of vampires vies for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between an unforgettable past, and a future that he doesn’t know he can live with… but can’t seem to turn away from.
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Hardcover, 572 pages
Published March 27th 2012 by NAL
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Review
So I finally read Lover Reborn. I will confess to having had worries about how this story would play out, and because of that, I did put off this read for a while. The thing is, J.R Ward is my favourite PNR author and the BDB is my most favourite series. My most devastating series. And that is still true.
But, I cannot deny that I did not love this novel. There was a lot about Tohr and Autumn's relationship that I simply could not find believeable. And I was truly upset about the introduction of the In Between as I felt it was unfair to the characters in the book. Despite that, I thought that by the end, it would come together and I would love the book and this couple. Ward is magical that way. However, I fell into the camp of readers who wasn't magicked into believing that this couple fit together and that has nothing to do with Wellsie. I don't feel as though Autumn is replacing her at all. It has to do with my preceptions of some of the rules/concepts of the world being nudged off to the side, and therefore I cannot believe in Tohr and Autumn as a romantic couple. I dislike being in this camp of readers, the one that just doesn't believe in Tohr and Autumn. I truly want to be in the other camp. It's like the Sorting Hat just sorted me into Slytherin when I really wanted to be in Gryffindor.
So, yeah, it sucks to be me.
That said, I thought the book was good. Ward expands her world and we are going to see some serious political/societal strife in upcoming books, and I'm very excited about that! I'm especially dying to see the role of the Band of Bastards will play in that, and some of their characters have caught my attention in a good way.
I was also delighted that the gender roles (which some readers, I not personally being one of them, have had issues with) were somewhat balanced out in this novel. And I think Layla will play a far greater role in any future "feminism" in this series than Xhex. I thought Layla's character is finally really beginning to own herself.
And Qhuay...wow, how far our boy Qhuinn has come! He is finally ready to be with Blay and he's going to make that happen. I'm so happy about that I already have visions of how that could all go down. But more specifically, I was impressed with Qhuinn laying aside all the rejections he's endured in his life from his family and society, and deciding to create a family of his own. I know some readers have concerns about Lover At Last, but from what I saw of Qhuinn and Layla and Blay, it can only play out well. See, I still believe in the magic of Ward.
The writing? Raw. Powerful. As always. I was moved to tears as only Ward can move me.
THREE glittering stars.
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