Lover Unleashed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 9)
#1 New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward's thrilling new novel in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, seductive cloth as her brother. Imprisoned for eons by their mother, the Scribe Virgin, she finally frees herself-only to face a devastating injury. Manuel Manello, M.D., is drafted by the Brotherhood to save her as only he can-but when the human surgeon and the vampire warrior meet, their two worlds collide in the face of their undeniable passion. With so much working against them, can love prove stronger than the birthright and the biology that separates them?
Reviews (193)
I Liked This One
FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed this book because the major stories were all ones I cared about. The vast majority of the book is one of three stories: Payne and Manny, V, Jane and Butch, and Qhuinn and Blay. For me, it felt more relationship focused and that pleased me. I also really liked going deeper into V, Jane and Butch's relationship. THE STORY: Payne, the twin sister of V, has spent hundreds of years imprisoned by their mother, the Goddess Scribe Virgin because Payne killed their father. During a training session with the King, Payne is seriously injured with a broken spine. V and his mate Jane desperately need the help of the human surgeon, Dr. Manual Manello. And thus, Manny is dragged into the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, a world of vampire warriors. The connection between Manny and Payne is intense and immediate, but there cannot be a future between them even if Payne recovers. OPINION: LOVER UNLEASHED is a typical book in the recent Black Dagger Brotherhood series. There are multiple stories most of which began in other books and many of which continue past this book. For me, the plus of this book is that the largest chunks of the book are about the twins Payne and Twin and those they love. The main story, of course, is Payne and Manny. I liked this story because of Manny himself. Ward does an exceptional job of quickly making Manny a character I want to root for. His brief interaction with the BDB a year ago (although wiped from his memory) has changed him. Jane's "death" has left him with a great deal of emptiness in his life. When he is brought to heal Payne, it really is love at first sight for these two. Payne's character remains a little more opaque in the book and I didn't feel as much connection to her, but I really did like the interaction between these two. The secondary storyline about V's spiral out of control after Payne's injury is the angst filled storyline here. Learning about Payne and then almost losing her has unmoored V from all the progress he has made since meeting Jane. His reaction threatens his relationship with his mate. I absolutely loved this storyline which I think is the highlight of the book. I'm a sucker for these situations where a couple delves deeper into their relationship. Some lingering threads of the series are resolved with V and Butch and I was happy that V and Jane grow even closer as their story resolves. The minor story with Qhuinn and Blay continues here. Qhuinn has hit rock bottom and it is time for him to start recreating himself. Nothing is resolved here but it seems like the story is slowly inching towards these two's story being resolved. With two others involved in the story, Ward does a good job of keeping everyone likeable and not going for the easy out of making villains out of the characters which serve a function of keeping Qhuinn and Blay apart. The focus on the internal operations of the Lessers is missing here. Instead, a new group is introduced as foils against the BDB -- the Band of Bastards. It appears that this group of vampires will play an important role in upcoming books. WORTH MENTIONING: I've had a much better reaction to these books now that I space out the reading of them. I think my brain can only process so much before I get annoyed and frustrated. Having read the disappointed reviews of this book, I also think I benefit from having some knowledge about where the series is going so that I don't have unmet expectations. I honestly don't think that the world building in these books is consistent anymore. Things feel less grounded, more fluid and there are well documented conflicts. I read the books for the characters so giving myself a break between books makes the inconsistencies in the story lines less obvious. CONNECTED BOOKS: LOVER UNLEASHED is the ninth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood. At this point, I don't think there is any way to understand this book without having read the others in the series. STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.
This was awesome!
Lover Unleashed was awesome! I loved all the characters and the way the world keeps building and building. I was excited while reading and can't wait to see what happens next. I really liked Payne. She was a strong woman although a bit naive in the beginning. I liked seeing her grow and really come into her own. She's so caring and sweet. Manny was great! I liked that he was tough and could hold his own in the midst of all the chaos. I love how he was tied into everything and how his connection to the vampire world was revealed. There's some push and pull between Payne and Manny, seriously great chemistry, plus a lot of emotion and heat. Their story had excellent development and l Ioved them coming together. I was super excited that new characters were introduced and cannot wait to find out what will happen with the Band of Bastards. I am so intrigued by their leader Xcor. I loved the development of Qhuinn and what's going on with him and the foreshadowing happening for his story. I also really enjoyed previous characters being brought back to the forefront. There are just so many great connections. I always feel pulled in and consumed. Just like the other stories in the series, Lover Unleashed is filled with multiple POVs and complex characters. There's a lot of drama and detail that pull you in and I enjoyed them all. That being said, Vishous's storyline was pretty intense and all-consuming, and sometimes I felt it overshadowed Payne and Manny. Overall, I liked it and liked how it played out, it just felt V heavy at times. Also, this story was more emotionally drama heavy than fighting heavy this time around. It was kind of a nice change though I did miss all the Lesser action. So excited for what's to come! Black Dagger Brotherhood forever!
So good and surprising reveals
So much happens in these books it is like a few books in one. The story of Payne and Manny was much better than the than I expected it to be. He was brought in to operate on her after she broke her back and had to be brought to the Mansion from the Sanctuary. They feel a connection right away, but she is struggling with being paralyzed since it is like being imprisoned in your body, when she is a warrior and needs to be active. Plus she is finally free of her mother and Sanctuary, yet stuck in a hospital bed. Prior to the surgery she made V promise to kill her if she ends up stuck that way. Jane knows there is no way Vishous can handle that. As it is, Vishous is spiraling. He is crazy angry at the Scribe Virgin (his Mom) already for keeping the fact that she was his Mom from him and giving him to the Bloodletter for all those years growing up, but now finding out that she kept a twin sister from him puts him in a rage. He just wants pain and doesn’t know how to deal. Bloodletters other son, Xcor and his group of Vampires, after ridding Europe of Lessers, have come across the Pond to destroy the King. They are setting up a meeting with the Glymera to try to win favor over the Brotherhood. They have also hit the streets slaughtering lessers. Xcor has been searching for Payne ever since she assassinated the Bloodletter to pay her back for killing his father in cold blood. Quinn is still pining for Blaylock and Blay is still with Quinn’s cousin, but Loves Quinn. Quinn thinks it is wrong for some reason. Stupid, really, since it seems to be fine to have sex with Men or Women, just not be in a relationship with a man. Crazy. But poor Quinn is so messed up from the fact that his family didn’t love him because he was not perfect and had different colored eyes. I fear it will be a vey long road for him.
Love this series... but I had to stop reading it.
I absolutely love the BDB. These books are a world I love diving into. And now that I am finishing up reading about the main characters from the brotherhood I’ve realized something. I need to stop reading them. I have read the 9 (10) books (+ Blay and Quinn’s story bc I couldn’t help myself) and I might read Torment’s one day. But not today. The reason(s) why I am leaving BDB are because 1) the books become expensive after buying like 5. 2) I really hate that Butch and V never got together or became a couple. They belong together. 3) These books consumed me, in a bad way. Time to take a few steps back. 4) The series is way too long and not to mention the spin offs. I love this world, but it does need to end. I will hold this series in my heart. Thank you author.
It is Ok...Not the best...Not the Worst.
I can't say this is my preferred book of the series. The story of Paine and Manello plays on the background while parallel stories unfold. And for some reason, for me, it felt flat and just like an add-on and not the story of the couple who should be the focus and who gave the title of the book "LOVER UNLEASHED", for this I'm giving the 3 stars. Because I don't think Paine's story made justice to her character. Which the same didn't occur in most of the previous of the Black Dagger books. The author explored and developed well the stories of John and Xhex, Vishous and Jane, Rhage and Mary, Zhadist and Bella, Wrath and Beth, Butch and Marisa. Ok, Rehvenge and Elhena's story could also have been better developed, because Rehvenge is also such a dark and complex character (I love him), but overall, I liked "LOVER AVENGED" better than I like "LOVER UNLEASHED". So far, for me, the "Raspberry Award" of the most boring story is "LOVER ENSHRINED" (Phurry and Cormia). I still think that story didn't make justice of Phurry's character), nonetheless, I can understand why the author took the path that she did with his story. But, I'm still at loss with Paine and Dr. Manello. However, the parallel events are important and give the readers important facts for following books of this series. This book for sure is an important addition to the series since it explains why the Band of Bastards moved from the Old World to Caldwell, NY and also it shows the challenges of Vishious and Jane's relationship and I can say also a subtle sexual tension between Vishous and Bush. That, in my opinion, is what keeps this book flowing,since Vishious is such a rich and complex being (My preferred after Zsadist, who I believe is the fave of 90% of the Black Dagger Brotherhood fan readers). With all that said, I don't want to sound discouraging. I would say that you go ahead, read the book and draw your own conclusions. Each person is different, has different expectations and perspectives. I still think this is a must read on the books of this series.
May be My Last Purchase
This review contains comments that some may see as mild spoilers so if you don't want to read them, you have been forwarned. This was not my favorite BDB book. I was looking forward to Manny and Payne's story because I really like his character and she seemed interesting. What we got was not what was expected and not in a good way. Let me start: 1- Too many storylines once again leave the main characters on the sidelines. I know Ward has her vision of where she wants the series to go and there are reasons for her many many many asides, but there seems to be a serious lack of organizations which affects the flow of the story. Some people may not be bothered by this, but knowing how well she can write, it dissapointed me as a reader. 2- Manny and Payne - I still love Manny. The intriguing parentage was a good fit. Payne on the other hand seems to be a slightly festier version of a Chosen, and that was very dissapointing. I am not a fan of the Chosen shellans. They seem to get on my nerves every time. Do they have to be such whiny people? Is this truly what the ideal vampire female is supposed to be? Honestly, I am not impressed. Stepford wives seem to have more of a personality. 3- V, Butch and Jane - I have absolutely no problems with a M/M relationship. Two people love each other, end of story. BDSM is also not an issue. To each his own. However, I have a very big problem with betraying spouses or in this case shellans. Emotional betrayal is just as bad as physical (and the scene with V and Butch came close to that too). If V was not ready to let go of Butch, he should not have married Jane. As much as I hate Marissa's character, the whole situation underminded her mating as well. In fact, at this point I am thinking the series might have benefitted from a V-Butch pair-up, a Manny-Jane pair-up, a non-existence of Payne (who is turning out to be a supperfluous character anyway) and maybe a Tor-Marissa pair-up if we needed to hear from that woman at all. This was probably my biggest issue. I don't really care if V solved his emotional constipation or not at this point. The fact that he could walk away from Jane no matter for how long, was unacceptable to me. I know many people don't like her or the fact that she became a ghost, but that is besides the point. A hellren should never betray a true shellan. If they don't want to be married, Ward should just let them stay single. 4- Blay and Qhuinn - I love Blay. Qhuinn is improving but only slightly. The fact is that I am getting tired of his emotional constipation as well. Blay needs to move on and find a mate who will truly fit him. I am not sure that Saxton is the best choice, but I am glad that they are at least taking care of each other for the moment. 5- Layla - The woman needs to dissapear. At this point I think all the Chosen should dissapear anyway. Every time they come out in the novels they annoy me to no end and ruin the plot. I have followed this series from the beginning. I loved the first few books. Once Butch's book came out, it all started to go downhill (Butch is great, Marissa not so much). I know many will disagree and that is ok, but the fact is that I think this series will no longer be an auto-buy for me. I may need to borrow it and read them from someone else before I decide to invest in a story that, while entertaining is simply not as gripping as it used to be. Too much drama, too convoluted, too much going on, too many side stories left hanging, too many main stories not developed fully, and the nail on the coffin: we can't even rely on mating bonds to be respected.
Too much V not enough Payne (3.5 stars)
I’ll start by saying I didn’t dislike this book but I do feel like Ward back slid a bit with it. The love story was cute actually and I enjoyed Manny, and Payne is just the most adorable thing ever. I love how Ward wrote her as a warrior but not like Xhex. She is her own character not just a copycat of the previous book. She's more innocent than Marissa too which I find amusing along with her being a Chosen and learning about this side as she goes along. At that love at first sight was just…*sigh*… I could see some foreshadowing so I wasn’t surprised but some revelations about Manny. I like that he’s not a brother or a vampire but is totally devoted to Payne and protective of her. But I felt like the story could have had more to it. It just seemed a little light over all. I did like the way Xcor was introduced and I could feel some real redemption for him when he learned the truth of the Bloodletter and Payne. Fingers crossed! My biggest problem with the book and the way Ward wrote it is that it didn’t feel like Payne’s story, it felt like Vishous 2.0. Perhaps because Ward didn’t give him a solid book she’s trying to make up for it but hijacking Payne and Manny’s isn’t the way to do it, and this V needing the shut beat out of him, been there done that his name is Zsadist. I don't know why Ward is recycling the same thing. Throughout the book I felt like Payne’s story kept getting lost and that she was almost more of a secondary character at times. Two other main issues with this book is the recycling of the “female vampire gets kidnapped” routine. Come on, really?! Ward can come up with wonderful creative story lines and plot points so I don’t know why she keeps recycling this one. The continuity is a big factor in this one as well. It’s like Ward needs a fact checker to proof her books sometimes. It was like Ward had her time periods mixed up. It’s the 1700's when Payne is first on earth, is the time of Jane Austen and the colonies. Red coats. Why on earth are the lessers in chain mail??? A few centuries off. It's just seems like the setting is 1300's-1500's not the late 1700's. Also when Payne first comes back to the compound with Wrath it was late afternoon if she was injured during normal sparring time she and Wrath had set up. The brothers were waiting for Wrath in the evening and he doesn’t show because he has brought the injured Payne to Jane. Then John got hurt and Jane had both Payne and John as patients, last book and this book (they overlap by about a week). But just a dozen pages or so before this Qhuinn commented on that John and Xhex were mated which didn't happen until the following night of John's injury. I know it’s only like 24 hours off but still it would have been easy to write the story in correct chronological order. Also how can Payne have watched V all this time if; 1) She was under a sleeping spell for 100 yrs 2) She thought V was dead? I still don’t totally get the Butch and V thing either. It’s beyond bromance but not quite romance because Butch is committed to Marrissa, and V is mated to Jane but it still seems like he’s crushing on Butch. V even realized himself that he’s not full committed to Jane, they didn’t even have a matting ceremony. I’m not sure where Ward is going with this but I would like it a little more clarified either verbally or through the emotions of the characters. I like seeing them as brothers but V seems intimate about it.
A bit dissapointing
This was a mediocre book about the BDB. I felt the storylines were to blurred. Too many story lines flowing roughly 5 and none really capturing the passions of her previous books. Felt like a hodge podge of previous storylines all reworked together with a slightly different angle (Payne's). Was hoping for more storyline of Xcor and his band or whats happening with the policemen and their enquiries as to disapearing youth. Felt there could have been more about V & Butch. Overall it was a mediocre book and poor editing/writing. A bit dissapointing:(
Awesome!!!
It took me a long time to start reading this book because I really wasn't that interested in Payne's story. I only read it bc while each book is a stand alone novel, you do miss a lot of context if you don't read the books in sequence. I'm so glad I finally picked it up to read it, what a great story. I saw that some of the negative reviews didn't like the fact that the author didn't talk much about the old characters. But in order to move the series along and keep it fresh, you have to add new blood. Plus this book helped me fall in love with Vishous again, since I disliked the story line of him succumbing to drug addiction and Jane turning into a ghost. I also loved revisiting his relationship with Butch. I really liked the storyline with Payne and Manny, what a sweet love story. I was a little worried they weren't going to get to their HEA! Also, there was a lot more mystery involved with how everyone is connected. This book left me hungry for more: what's gonna happen with Quinn and Blay? How will Xcor figure into future stories? Will the glymera challenge Wrath? What's up with the lessings? Can't wait to read the next book!
OH Manny...
** 2.5 stars ** I was all set to give Lover Unleashed two stars. It wasn't quite as rough for me as Lover Enshrined (Phury's book) but it was really annoying. I was never a fan of Manny's, but was excited for another female badass with Payne. Welp, that didn't happen, but hey, if I ever break my spine now I know that Magic Peen will cure me so I'm calling this a win. Once again, the convenience with which the obstacles that keep our lovers apart are solved makes me cringe. What saved Lover Unleashed was Vishous and Jane. I didn't realize that they weren't 100% okay, until they weren't. I guess I just assumed V was cool now, and that Jane was fine with some hard play. I really liked that they came through the drama stronger than before, but I feel like Ward is just teasing us with Butch and V. If she wasn't going to let them get it on and be together four or five books ago, then just go ahead and stop dangling that underlying attraction between them. I think I might have liked the Band of Bastards as a part of the series. I don't know. Well, it's not so much that I liked it as it's a lot better than reading about the lessers. Karen at For What It's worth reviewed Lover Unleashed here. Her review says everything I was thinking, and everything I hadn't thought of yet, and said it perfectly. Warning: this review is flat-out hilarious, especially when she calls Manny out for his tendency for premature ejaculation. Hee! All I'm saying is Tohr's book is next and I better love it or I'll.....well, I'll keep reading but I'm going to bitch about it a whole lot.
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