Phury has given endlessly of himself to others, both before joining the
Black Dagger Brotherhood and as part of the elite group of
vampire warriors. He strives to be what everyone needs of him, but such
sacrifice ultimately comes at a price. Phury’s price? Debilitating
addictions that finally begin to take a deadly toll on his sanity and his
health. These addictions only grow worse as he faces the ultimate
sacrifice, having given himself in service to the Scribe Virgin as the
Primale, whose duty is to breed with all of the Chosen and repopulate the
dwindling ranks of the Brotherhood.
But this is one sacrifice Phury finds difficult to follow through with,
especially as he finds himself unable to think of bedding any of the Chosen
but his First Mate, Cormia, a female of worth so far above him that he finds
her untouchable. That doesn’t stop his longing for her, however, and
proximity to the lovely Cormia only exacerbates his desire, driving him to
extremes that will soon come to a head in dangerous ways.
While Phury struggles with his new role as Primale and his unexpected
feelings for his First Mate, the Brotherhood is thrust into the thick of
battle with the Lessening Society as the evil lessers gain new ground in
their war upon the vampires.
Once again, J.R. Ward has run my emotions through the wringer, but in a way
that keeps me coming back for more again and again. I simply cannot get
enough of Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series! As with the
previous editions in this ongoing saga, Lover Enshrined is not
an easy read, but it is a gripping one.
With the sixth story of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, the
author tells the story of Phury and Cormia as they both enter new worlds.
Phury must learn to deal with his new role as Primale and the strange,
controlled environment of Sanctuary, where he is revered by the Chosen.
Cormia finds herself in a total sensory overload as she tries to cope with
the wild, colorful world outside of Sanctuary. As each of them search for
their place in these worlds, their journeys grow into a true searching of
the soul for both as they discover who they really are and what their most
heartfelt desires and needs truly are.
Alongside the main story of Phury and Cormia, we revisit many of the
characters we have come to know, love, and wanted more of in previous
stories. Many secrets are revealed in this book and just as many more
intrigues are introduced.
We learn more about the Omega, and even read part of the story from his
perspective.
John Matthew and his friends Blaylock and Qhuinn play a much larger role in
this story, and we learn more about each of these characters, as we do their
nemesis, Lash.
Zsadist and Bella return as her pregnancy advances and Zsadist realizes he
must intervene with Phury’s growing problems.
One of my favorite characters has a much bigger part in Lover
Enshrined as we see more of Rehvenge and his myriad secrets.
We catch a few more glimpses of Xhex’s life, but only enough to promise her
a more prominent role in future stories. Still, the bits we see are
definitely titillating…
There is more, of course, but I’ve told everything I can without giving
spoilers. I certainly wouldn’t want to ruin any surprises for other
readers. Suffice it to say that I think other fans of this series will be
as taken with this book as I am.
I cannot recommend Lover Enshrined highly enough. With an
intense, gritty storyline infused with potent sensuality, Ms. Ward delivers
a compelling tale that will keep you biting your nails on the edge of your
seat while wiping away the occasional tear. Lover Enshrined
packs plenty of surprises, and although it is an emotional read, it
ultimately leaves the reader with hope for these characters’ present and
their future.
Reviewed by Jennifer
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The Black Dagger Brotherhood,
Book 6: Lover Enshrined
J.R. Ward
ISBN: 9780451222725
Signet
June 3, 2008
Paranormal Romance/Vampire
Mass Market Paperback
Rating:
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