Sunday, March 11, 2007

Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward

SPOILERS GALORE. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

I'm not sure where to start with this *cough* opinion.

So I'll start by saying I really, really, really wanted this book to blow my skirt up - so to speak.

Am I disappointed?

You bet.

Does this mean the book is crap?

Not really.

I've mentioned in a few places that I think I would rate this book a straight B and hopefully that pans out.

Cindy Blurb: Wait. I really don't think you can read this book without reading the rest in the series. Maybe it would have worked better if I had never read the other three books but I'm not sure.

Butch is basically the human pet of a bunch of vampire warriors of the Brotherhood. He fetches when called and isn't allowed out to play with the big boys. He stumbled into knowledge of the Brotherhood in the first book in this series and his choice was to stay with them or die. He chose to stay with them and really he didn't start to regret his decision until a year had passed and he realized his life was the same as before except he now has financial privileges. In the first book he met the King's ex-mate Marissa and bloody hell if she isn't the love of his life after one kiss. I have to say seeing him mope over his booze was not quite what I wanted to read.

Marissa meanwhile, is part of the glymera (basically high society of the vampires where lineage is all important - yeah.) but has been shunned for something like 300 years because soon after her pairing with the vampire King it became clear to everyone that he did not bond with her. Yep, she's the oldest living virgin.

Okay we need to speed this up.

Butch gets caught by lessers (evil dudes) and is tortured for information which he doesn't give up. He knows he's about to die but then the Omega (super big evil dude) realizes the Brotherhood will want him back so he puts a piece of himself in Butch.

V - Butch's bestest friend (and did V want more?) finds him, takes him to the vampire hospital where he realizes Butch is suicidal and calls Marissa to help him. Marissa races to Butch's side. She's later caught by her brother in a compromising position with Butch, gets thrown out of her home, goes to the Brother's mansion (where Butch lives) for sanctuary. Butch is worried he's going to turn into an evil guy, a whole bunch of lesser crap happens, finds out he's got some Brotherhood blood in him, gets turned into the new weapon against the evil, joins the Brotherhood and Marissa takes her head out of her ass and HEA.

Problems?

I have many.

I loved Butch as the world weary cop with a heart of gold. He was so broken and lonely and wonderfully dark. In the beginning of Lover Revealed he is all that and I was in my glory. Hell, Marissa has a panic attack in the beginning of the book and I'm all relating to her and thinking 'Booyah Baby this one's going to be a keeper!'

Pffffffft.

I should look the page number up but Butch and Marissa tell each other they love one another fairly early in the story. Some seriously heavy petting ensues, they promise to always be straight with each other and then WHAM - blindsided by stupidity and immaturity.

Saying, hey, let's always talk things out does not mean someone says something and the other leaves the room with out going 'WTF did that mean!?' Communications were down, their software was not compatible and it was a frustrating thing to be a part of.

These two people were perfect for never saying anything outright or letting the other person explain.

Here's what I know for sure.

Butch loves Marissa hands down.

Marissa is about 21 yrs old in human years.

Apparently vampires mature much, much, much slower. MUCH! I figure she needs to live another three hundred years before she is ready to actually be with Butch.

I'm just saying, I live quite a cloistered life and I'm only 36 but even I know whose opinions matter to me. Three hundred years should put a bit of gumption under your belt so I find it odd Marissa would just discover she has a backbone.

So, not a big fan of Marissa and Butch was pussy whipped.

Since this is getting long, let's see if I can do bullet points.

1. Butch was himself in the beginning and I would have preferred it if he had actually remained who he was but instead he discovers he's more than human and OMG that means he has purpose. Ugh. At this point I began to feel like he read like all the other Brothers.

2. The Brotherhood blows. Butch gets caught and is being tortured for a day and all the Brotherhood can think of is 'OMG what if he tells the lessers something'. Wow. I can only hope I have friends like you. Then they get him back and even V starts to question whether Butch is his enemy. WTF?

At one point the vampire king says 'go bring our boy home'.

Here Lassie, here boy, come on Lassie! Ugh.

3. V is an asshole. I mean really. First he's worried he's going to have to kill Butch (cause he's evil - NOT), then he knows if Butch tries to leave the Brotherhood he will kill Butch, then V does some sort of suicidal swan dive off a building but hey, vampires can do that whole teleportation thing and he ends up behind Butch who is screaming because he thinks his best friend just killed himself. Yep. Not a lot of sympathy for V going on over here.

All of the above blew holes in any type of homo-erotic stuff that *might* have been going on between Butch and V. I don't think Butch ever felt that way but V from previous books seemed to. Well, if this is the way V loves someone then whoever is about to become his mate better look out!

Let's end there before my head explodes.

So why a B? It didn't feel like a C book which usually leaves me with a 'meh' feeling. Obviously I have some pretty strong feelings.

Oh. And for those who are wondering, I skimmed the lesser parts and John's parts and I didn't miss them.

It gets worse.

I read the preview of V's book and I thought 'meh'.

I guess I can do a separate post sometime on how reader's expectations can bite an author in the ass.

16 comments:

dancechica said...

Good write up, hon! You pretty much just solidified my decision not to buy LR. Sorry you were so disappointed though 'cause I know how much you were looking for to this one. Doesn't it just suck when a book you really want lets you down? I'm thinking I still might get V's book, 'cause that guy intrigues me. But for the most part, I think the shine has worn off the BDB series for me.

nath said...

Hey Cindy :D

This was a really, really interesting review/rant and I love it :D I still have to read it, but sounds I'm in for a ride. Personally, I don't have any feelings for V or Butch... so I wonder how much I'm going to like it.

Kristie (J) said...

Hilarious review!! I read it despite the spoilers and laughed all the way through. I still have Lover Revealed to read before I get to this one though. And I seem to have a number of other books to read too :)

Devon said...

I gave it a B as well. I wasn't too into Butch prior to this, but I think he got sort of a pathetic treament in LR. Made him seem like a loser. I liked Marissa in comparison to other Ward heroines, though. And I liked V myself.

I just found the romance less than compelling. This is the first BDB that I haven't had any interest in re-opening right away.

~ames~ said...

LMAO!! Good stuff. I don't know what I'd grade this book, but you have definitely given me some food for thought.

I didn't feel like Butch had any feelings for V like that. I read the parts with John and I liked them, so I know I'm going to keep reading this series. What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment.

Oh yes, what did you think of Xhex? hehe

I had to giggle over all the names that had an extra H in them. Qhuinn? Please!

ReneeW said...

OMG, you write the funniest reviews. Now I'm really curious about this book and need to read it soon. Well, a B isn't bad, coulda been worse. V sounds like an jerk though.

CindyS said...

Dance Chica - I *think* I will buy the next book but I'm wondering if I will wait and see what others think but it's hard to review these books without spoilers. Maybe in 6 months I will have forgotten the horror that was this book and be begging for the next installment. Meh.

Nath - I think if you hadn't really noticed or cared about Butch and Marissa then hopefully the book won't be a let down - I really do hope you like it!

Kristie - I really, really think you will love Z's book but it really is his story. That's another thing about Butch's book, him and Marissa didn't really spend all that much time together - maybe having her help him figure out what was wrong with him would have been a better way to go. Oh! I just read Jazz's review over at Sanctuary's Finest and I'm glad I didn't read it before I read the book because she quotes a scene between Butch and V that would have had me salivating but in the context of the book it wasn't what it seemed. Oh and maybe the fact I think V is an asshole shadows my opinion ;)

Devon - oh, definitely the same with me except for the Marissa love ;) Yeah, I think I'm going to need some time before I would go back and re-read this book. When I finished Z's book I had to stop myself from starting from the beginning again because I thought it meant I was becoming unhinged ;)

Sotheara - welcome! Do you have a blog? I also have Singh in the TBR pile and Hoyt's next on the TBB list. So you didn't read Z's book? Would you consider reading Z's book? I know, I'm bad ;)

Ames - Yeah, I don't think Butch had feelings for V but I think in this book he figured out that V had some feelings for him. I don't know, I would have liked to see more angst between them but with Butch in love with Marissa from the start I guess it would be weird for him to have feelings for V. I'll tell you, I was freaked out by V's sexual stuff but only because leather masks freak me out as do ball gags - I know there are people who love this and there is nothing wrong with it but it scares me in a horror film kind of way.

Xhex - I think when she was described as androgenous I was basically unimpressed - I mean, Butch asked her if she had any equipment that would be a surprise for him before having sex with her (it was off screen). Now, in my head I was calling her Hex - Kristie told me that her name is actually pronouced Sex. Bitch please!! I think I will continue to buy the books as I'm curious about Rev and Xhex because they are sympaths and I have no clue what that even means! All the same, the woman's name will remain Hex ;)

Renee - thanks for pumping up the ol' ego ;) I really hope that other love this book but it was just too much for me. I obviously don't do well when I have expectations that aren't met.

CindyS

Devon said...

I thought her name was Hex, too. It will remain so for me as well.

Was it just me or did Rehvenge describe as hemphoditic? Which freaked me out more than androgynous, because I can help wondering if she's packing something extra. I'm pretty open minded, but no "Crying Game" please.

Devon said...

I obviously didn't proof read there. I was talking about Xhex.

Rosie said...

Im not reviewing the book after reading this. : )

The first comment I made to my husband when I finished is how after 400 years (most of them) these men and women could be so immature.

Butch was never a fave of mine and I too much a Nosy Nora to see what she does with the other characters not to continue to read the series.

I have to give JR credit for writing well enough to keep me interested despite the bumpy road.

Nikki said...

Loved your review!

Xhex is Sex not Hex??? LOL! That is so funny!!

I loved this book! I guess, I'm the only decenting opinion.

If you were writing Butch's book what would it be about?

If he didn't find out that certain thing about himself, how could there be a real happy ending? If he stayed the same he would die soon. Or Ward could have done a thing like she did Mary. But, I don't think Butch could stand her feeding from someone else. I think that was the only way for them to be together.

I was glad the lessers didn't kidnap Marissa or hurt her. I do think they were immature but I think the matured during the book.

V is really strange. And he is paired with a human? Poor girl. I hope he doesn't make her wear a mask when they do it!! V should be with Xhex!! That is a match made in heaven!!

Holly said...

Xhex is Sex not Hex??? LOL! That is so funny!! Exactly. lol

Sorry this didn't live up to your expectations. Personally, I couldn't like Butch/Marissa, but I did like the lesser/John parts. lol go figure.

Anonymous said...

Look at it this way - you won't have to wrack your brains v. hard to come up with a Biggest Disappointment for the 2007 AAR Poll.

Cold comfort, I know. Sorry it wasn't what you were hoping for. :(

CindyS said...

Kristie!!!

Just in case it came out wrong - when I said 'Bitch please' when finding out how to pronounce Xhex's name I was talking 'to' Ward not Kristie! It was a 'oh no she didn't' kind of response. Just in case. So sorry if it sounded like I was talking at Kristie - like I would ever say that to her!

Devon - I wonder if I can double check that it's pronounced Sex but Kristie is very wise when it comes to this stuff - I'm always afraid to lurk on Ward's board because I really don't like spoilers but she may have mentioned there how to pronounce her name.

OMG! I read that wrong and went to look it up and you're right. Rev describes her as 'deliciously hermaphroditic' - what the hell does that mean? Androgynous would have been a better definition unless Xhex gets a story and she's really a Brother in a female body and they get to change her over ;)

Rosie!! Why aren't you going to review it? I would love to read your thoughts!

Nikki - I should probably do a post about how I as a reader come to expect things because I think I may be different than other readers.

For me, I might have liked to see Marissa give up being a vampire (hey that Scribe Virgin has some tricks up her sleeve). OR (and this is huge) I would have liked more of a tug of war between V and Marissa about Butch. I know Butch told V he would never let her drink from V but what if he had no choice - wouldn't that have been something to see - maybe V sits facing Butch because he's only doing it for him and Butch realizes what he is asking of everyone around him. Yeah. (I know, not my story ;))

I don't know, I guess I feel like I got set up for something that just didn't really exist. Is V just lonely and what he said about Butch being 'his' is an ownership issue and not an equals thing. So, was Butch like an object to V - I guess I expected more emotion to be there on V's part but instead it was like Ward decided she didn't want to write a series where readers were wondering about the sexual orientations of her heroes and had to find a way to back out. We'll have to see with the next book but I just didn't feel it.

Also, on the theme of more emotions I was surprised that Wrath just said 'hey cousin'. Wouldn't discovering a family member bring some sort of emotion out? I found Wrath to be very 'meh' in his reactions. Then there was that scene where Butch held V after the swan dive - there was emotion everywhere and then CUT - you turn the page and everyone is somewhere else and doing something completely different.

Okay, I think I could go on for hours ;)

Holly - I think it was my expectations that caused me some grief but the miscommunication stuff really rubbed me wrong.

AAR Rachel - good Lord - let this be my biggest disappointment because I may have to jump off a building if I get even more disappointed in a book ;)

Sotheara - looks like you will be the one to drag me into the Myspace domain - I've never been there but I'm coming to check your page out! I have to say, I'm a wee bit tickled I have lurkers ;)

CindyS

Kat said...

I think it was a good thing I wasn't a huge fan of Butch or Marissa to begin with - no expectations! *lol* So I actually liked this book quite a bit. Z used to be my favourite, but LA as a whole underwhelmed me. Maybe I expected too much there.

Kyahgirl said...

wow, that was a pretty detailed review. good job. I was trying to think of a way to describe Butch and Marissa and you just came out with pussy whipped. made me laugh!

I still want to read Phury's story....I can't help it. He has so much angst and all that. I still like the series but I'm getting really sick of long, long series. I thing 3 is a good length.