Dark Lover by J R Ward

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 393

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Amazon

Blurb from Goodreads

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.



My Review

The Black Dagger Brotherhood are six warriors who defend and protect their species, vampires! They are targeted by slayers, once human and now their sole purpose is to eradicate the vamps. The brotherhood don't think much of humans although each has their own issues, when something happens to one of their brothers their inner circle is shook and infiltrated in a way none of them seen coming and will change everything.

Wrath is their leader, a pure blood, respected and feared in equal measures. He has his own hangups from his past and that affects how he is now as an adult and a leader. When he has to take his friends daughter under his protection he is in for a rollercoaster of a ride. Everything is challenged, danger is at every turn and Wrath finds himself battling his own demons!

So I have read a lot of vampire books and seen tons of movies, this one flings a fresh take on them. Everything we thought we knew about vampires is turned around in this one. What they need to do to survive, how they interact with humans, their immortality, love, sex, food so much of it is different. I think this is a good opening book, I loved the banter between some of the characters, loyalty, bravery and the female characters. One irritated me for a good part of the book with her passiveness and having seemingly no strength of character. As the book progresses almost all of the characters grow and change or we get a bit more depth about who they are. I have almost all of the other books that follow this one. Certainly a foundation builder type of book and I look forward to the others and sure they will have more depth now we have the basics and a bit of character background, 3.5/5 for me this time.

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The Reapers Are The Angels by Alden Bell

The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days on and off

Pages - 294

Publisher - TOR

Blurb from Goodreads

Zombies have infested a fallen America. A young girl named Temple is on the run. Haunted by her past and pursued by a killer, Temple is surrounded by death and danger, hoping to be set free.

For twenty-five years, civilization has survived in meager enclaves, guarded against a plague of the dead. Temple wanders this blighted landscape, keeping to herself and keeping her demons inside her heart. She can't remember a time before the zombies, but she does remember an old man who took her in and the younger brother she cared for until the tragedy that set her on a personal journey toward redemption. Moving back and forth between the insulated remnants of society and the brutal frontier beyond, Temple must decide where ultimately to make a home and find the salvation she seeks.





My Review

We all know I love a zombie read, for those who are a bit fencer sitter on them this one may appear a bit more to you. Temple is taking it one day from the next in a new world where zombies far outnumber the surviving humans. Twenty five years after the apocalypse kicked off Temple has lost everyone close to her and is moving from place to place to stay safe. After a horrific encounter she finds herself hunted and not just by the zombies. Coming across someone who is vulnerable to say the least she tries to keep them both safe whilst eluding the person who wants to dole out some justice.

I think if you like a story that is post apocalyptic which more focus on the human survival and rationale behind human actions and consequences rather than horror and flesh eating, this is one for you. Temple is older than her fifteen years and in some aspects really smart, in others you are slapping your head in disbelief at some of the choices she makes considering that which she has just survived.

She looks after a vulnerable male adult she comes across after her conscience won't let her abandon him yet calls him some terms that many readers will find offensive. The person who hunts her whilst you can understand their initial reasons just had me thinking, really?!?! she is a kid and anyone would justify her actions oh and she is a fifteen year old child! A few other issues for me was how well kept the world appears to be, twenty five years in and some places still have working electronics, electricity, home comforts meh I have read and seen so many of this genre that that did stick in my craw.

However, the book itself rather than heavy focus , as most zombie reads do, on death eating monsters & destruction this was more on humanity, the ups and downs of it. In a ravaged world we will have good guys, bad guys and a sense of righteousness, friendship, honor and family ties. I did like this book, I just didn't love it and whilst some will appreciate how it all came to play folk like me get a bit prickly with how things are chosen to come full circle. I would certainly recommend it to folk who enjoy the more human interactions of apocalyptic style read as it has been loved and enjoyed by many. If you are looking for a gore fest or the survival from limited resources then maybe not so much this one. 3/5 for me this time, this was my first time reading this author and I would read them again, certainly different from the other zombie reads so far.

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