Wednesday, April 6, 2022

5 Stars for Lover Arisen (Black Dagger Brotherhood #20) by J. R. Ward


True love brings a deadly threat to the Black Dagger Brotherhood in this sizzling new novel in J.R. Ward’s #1 New York Times bestselling series.

Possessed by the demon Devina, Balthazar is once again on the hunt for the Book of Spells—and fighting an undeniable attraction to a woman. As a thief, he has stolen a lot of things…but he never thought his heart would be taken by another. Especially not a human.

As a homicide detective, Erika Saunders knows there is something otherworldly going on in Caldwell, New York. Mutilated bodies that cannot be explained are all over her case list—and then there are her nightmares in which she’s hunted by shadows and captivated by a mysterious man who is both a suspect and a savior.

When Devina’s wish for true love is finally granted, Balthazar and Erika unwittingly become the gateway for the rebirth of an old enemy of the Brothers. Will the very thing that brings them together lead to the ultimate destruction of the Brotherhood? Or will they have to lose everything in order to save the race’s most sacred defenders?

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What I thought about Lover Arisen

Lover Arisen is billed as the twentieth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and that isn't counting all the side stories, novella and spin-off series.  This world just continues to expand and change. Lover Arisen is a transformational book that takes the reader farther from the original BDB brothers into a world where things are definitely changing. That being said, it's all good. I was immediately engaged in this book. 

The main characters in this book are Balthazar, who is searching for a book of spells and Erika, a homicide detective. Both characters were introduced in the  previous book in the series.  There's the usual back-and-forth, push-and-pull with these two, including the need to protect from Balthazar and the search for truth from Erika.  I did like these two together, and as main characters, they were not as strong as some of the couples in the first books in the series. And to be honest, that's a high bar to reach. There's more attention to the action taking place around them, than the romance between Balthazar and Erika.  I've learned to expect this in the later books in this series. 

There is a new evil in town for the Brothers to deal with in the form of Devina the demon.  She really does make a good villain and again, some of her actions reminded me of the early days of the series with some of the horrific actions on the Lesser side. And there's the re-emergence of a character that is sure to have readers in a kerfluffle!  

The original Brothers do have some cameos and that is always welcome in this world. They bring relief from the darker, heavier material in this story, and that's a very good thing.  They are the heart and soul of this series, and I sit up and take notice when they appear on the pages.  Fan favorite Lassiter contributes to this story as well. 

 I would recommend reading the previous books in the series before tackling this one for maximum enjoyment of the storylines, but there is quite a bit of rehashing and reviewing if you are behind in the series.  You can easily catch on to what is going on if you are familiar with the world.  

Overall, Lover Arisen is what I expected -- a tense, thrilling ride in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world of Caldwell New York. There were some slow spots at the start but there were also moments of nail biting and excitement in the second half. Told from multiple points of view, the story in this installment just makes this world richer and more interesting as the book progresses. I enjoyed this story and I was very happy to spend time in this world.
 



J.R. Ward is the author of more than thirty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. There are more than fifteen million copies of her novels in print worldwide, and they have been published in twenty-six different countries. She lives in the South with her family.

 

 

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