Reviewed by Susan65
Title: Lover Enshrined
Author: J.R. Ward
Narrator: Jim Frangione
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #6
Hero/Heroine: Phury/Cormia
Genre: MF Paranormal
Length: 17 Hours, 44 Minutes
Publisher: Recorded Books
Release Date: December 15, 2008
Available at: Amazon and Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Fiercely loyal to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, becoming the male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood’s bloodlines alive. As Primale of the Chosen, he is obligated to father the sons and daughters who will ensure that the traditions of the race survive, and that there are warriors to fight those who want all vampires extinguished.
As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body, but his heart for herself. She is drawn to the noble responsibility behind the emotionally scarred male. But Phury has never allowed himself to know pleasure or joy. As the war with the Lessening Society grows grim, tragedy looms over the Brotherhood’s mansion, and Phury must decide between duty and love….
Review – Book: Continuing on my path of rereading and listening to the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, I have made some astounding observations. Many things that I originally glossed over have come to mean so much more. Now that most of the characters have been put into play, or have had their own books, going back and seeing how they were introduced and the roles they initially played begins to make more sense. This book, though marketed as Phury and Cormia’s romance, actually encompasses so much more. Way more than I remembered.
Major points that made me go “oh yeah”, or “wow, I’d completely forgotten that” were revealed in this extremely long book and audio.
For ease, I’ve chosen (pun intended) to bullet point the highlights. This book is not new, so I will only give a perfunctory nod that spoilers are ahead:
• This is the book that Blay admits he is gay and is in love with Qhuinn. Qhuinn is an admittedly bi-sexual male, concedes that he has thought about Blay in that way, but loves him too much as a friend to ruin it by adding sex into the mix. At this point, Qhuinn is still thinking he wants to eventually mate with a female.
• Lash attempted to rape JM in the showers of the training center and had his throat cut by Qhuinn. Qhuinn is outcast by family, and forced to be a bodyguard, for life, to JM in exchange for jail time or recompense to Lash’s family. Lash is abducted from Haver’s clinic by Lessors and returned to his real father, the Omega. Look out Xhex. Lash goes on a killing spree and Qhuinn’s not so loving family is targeted. This is where Qhuinn’s brother is taken alive and is still missing.
• Tohrment is found and returned to the Brotherhood, by Lassiter. Lassiter remains with the Brotherhood as this is his final chance to regain his angel status. The fallen angel is funny. I wish I didn’t have to read the Fallen Angel series to see how his game ends.
• JM and Xhex play their little sexual innuendo games. The tension is building.
• Phury and his wizard, which drove me bonkers in the book, actually makes a ton of sense in the audio. The wizard is the nasty voice in his head that drove him to be an addict, caused him to go all Friday the 13th on the Lessors, and eventually had him kicked out of the Brotherhood.
• Phury and Zsadist tear my heart out when Z drops him like a hot potato, and then puts it back together again when he comes back to Phury and sings Puccini to him at the end. Those twins slay me. Nalla is born, but we need to read Father Mine to see the ramifications. Wish it were on audio.
• I was never a Layla fan because I hated that she’d weaseled her way, permanently, into Qhuinn and Blay’s life. However, I had completely forgotten that she was trained as an ehros but never chosen to be used. I can see how that could mess with a girl’s head. She was JM’s chosen for his transition and he sends her away, she was chosen as Phury’s first mate when he dumps Cormia, but then he falls into the DT’s and is too sick to follow through before he then re-chooses Cormia, and send her away. She is just a blood donor to Rhage and Vishous. So, yeah, I am not hating on her too much anymore because that kind of rejection can sting.
• Rhevenge and the Scorpion Princess…can you say gross? Ugh, how did I ever forget that was in this book?
So much happens in this book that it may seem as if the romance between Phury and Cormia is glossed over. The truth is that there is no romance. When they come together, it’s just sex because Phury is completely screwed up. He can’t see what’s right in front of his eyes until he almost loses everything. I can see his need to have Zsadist say, thank you, and understand all that Phury sacrificed for his twin and the Brothers. I hated that they gave a century of latitude to Zsadist and his cold-hearted ways, but they drop Phury like a hot potato. I also understand that it was their form of tough love and that they never really outcast him. It was hard to read, but the ending is worth it. Unfortunately, I didn’t really see a love match between Phury and Cormia; if I were her, I would feel a little cheated.
Review – Audio Book: I can’t say enough about this narrator. Jim Frangione has a distinct voice that will forever remind me of the Brothers. He still makes me giggle with his female voices, but that’s understandable and takes nothing away from his performance. He gives passion and depth to his characters, and I look forward to listening to the rest of series.
Overall Impression: I loved it
*I purchased my own, personal copy of this book for review.*
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