Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5) [Mass Market Paperback]

J.R. Ward (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 25, 2007 | Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood (Book 5)

The ruthless and brilliant brother Vishous possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time-until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that does not include her...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The newest in Ward's ferociously popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series bears all the marks of a polished storyteller completely at home in her world. Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, is a cunning, stone-hearted vampire warrior devoted to killing the wicked, undead vampire slayers known as the Lessers; after an ill-fated visit to a hospital, Vishous falls instantly and unexpectedly in love with a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb. Soon, Vishous has brought the unwitting human back to the Brotherhood lair, where she returns his feelings, opening up a potentially cataclysmic conflict—Vishous is, against his will, destined to become the Primale, a warrior with multiple vampire wives who's meant to ensure the survival of the species. Ward has by now become an expert at fleshing out the stories of her supporting characters—each with his or her own novel—without overpowering the central story, and while the romance between Vishous and Whitcomb is genre-typical, Ward isn't afraid to break with convention in challenging, gratifying ways. Though not recommended for newcomers to Ward's universe or romance traditionalists, this fix will give Brotherhood addicts a powerful rush. (Oct.)
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About the Author

J. R. Ward lives in the South with her incredibly supportive husband and her beloved golden retriever. After graduating from law school, she began working in health care in Boston and spent many years as chief of staff for one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Signet; First Printing edition (September 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451222350
• ISBN-13: 978-0451222350
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (405 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > General

More About the Author

J.R. Ward is the number one New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series of vampire books. She is a winner of the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA award for Best Paranormal Romance and is a multiple RITA nominee. A graduate of Smith College, she was a double major in History and Art History with a medieval concentration in both and she still longs at times for a return to those days sitting in dark lecture halls, looking at slides of old triptychs and reliquaries. Prior to becoming a full time writer, she was a corporate attorney, serving for many years as the Chief of Staff of one of Harvard Medical Schools premier teaching sites. Her idea of absolute heaven is a day filled with nothing but her computer, her dog and her coffee pot and the Brothers, of course.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

122 of 138 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Both Amazing and Frustrating, October 9, 2007

By 

K. Montgomery (Columbus, GA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

Lover Unbound garnered an instant impression from me on ending it. It was a hard journey, probably the hardest book to read of the series for me. I thought Ward had wrung out of me all the rough emotions I could possibly feel with Zsadist's book (Lover Awakened), but oh, how wrong I was. My first impression? Well, it was a mixed bag actually: disappointment, utter joy, a bit of a depression in regards to some characters, smiles for certain scenes, heartfelt sighs for others...and a definite piqued interest for continuing with the series. A mixed bag to say the least--more like a salad in which some ingredients were found exceptionally tasty and snatched up, others a bit wilted and set aside for pondering.

Vichous, resident IT geek and live wire (think the hand). He's had it tough the last several months. He's got some conflicting emotions to work through regarding his roommate, Butch, feelings he hates himself for. Meanwhile, the war with the Lessers isn't going away, but turning a corner instead into newer, possibly deadlier territory. Like all of the brothers, his life hasn't come without a price, and memories of his father's warrior camp impede his ability to heal on the inside. His way of dealing is to indulge some darker sexual preferences, but is it helping? When a Lesser roundup goes bad, V finds himself hospitalized, but in a human one where the brotherhood is in danger of exposure. There he meets Dr. Jane Whitcomb, a self-assured surgeon...his savior. If not for her, he'd most likely have died, so why not kidnap the brilliant doc to make sure the healing continues? There's something about her that sparks the "mine" instinct and V's not having it any other way. Only problem is there's this tiny little job he's got to handle for the SV and it may mean an end to what V wants and a beginning to what's best for the vampire race as a whole. Can V step down from what he wants? Is it really in a warrior's nature? Jane may have been more than he bargained for too, more than he can sacrifice this time. And for a brother that's made incredible sacrifices in the past, it just might be time to take a stand.

First off, I agree with some of the professional reviews--this is not the book to enter the series on. If anyone starts off with it, they're doing themselves and the books a disservice. This series is worth reading in order from book one. Vishous has had quite the interesting development in the last four books (in order: Dark Lover, Lover Eternal, Lover Awakened and Lover Revealed). It's probably safe to say that many readers developed some expectations--who wouldn't with these vamps? They're exceptionally developed, larger than life (in our minds) and full of some very engaging emotions. I realized though, that in doing so I was putting myself and the characters in a corner. Realizing this didn't make me appreciate the ending any more, which is different. Hard hitting, heavy and raw. This book WAS raw, gritty and in-your-face. It's the BDB though, that's what we've been getting. The author has stayed true to the roots of the series in that regard. Did I wish it could have been different for the main characters by book's end? Big yes. Jane felt too rushed, but the circumstances in which she entered the series were rushed too, so it could be explained that way. Regardless, I wished for more from/for her, and I suppose that is why the ending disappointed me. To me, the ending left a lot of questions; ones I hope will be answered in later books. She seems to still have an important role by the ending, so that gives me hope. The romance was a bit understated compared to previous books--there's a lot of detail about John Matthew and his friends included, a great set-up for Phury's book (next in the series titled Lover Enshrined, June 2008). Secondary characters do play a bigger role in this one and those parts were stellar. Even Zsadist continues to develop beautifully--Ward's not done with the individual characterizations! This book explored some deep emotions and a new take on the way romance can be written. While the ending left me feeling unsatisfied, I'm still convinced this is one bold, gutsy and talented author, which only lead me to wanting one thing in the end--Phury's book. We meet his possible mate and what we find out about her and the culture she arrives from is not to be missed. Lover Unbound is going to sure-fire please fans, or put them in reserve and on guard. Oddly enough, it did both for me. Sounds like a success to me.

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars What a hot mess, September 25, 2007

By 

SSG (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

A distressing misstep in Ward's otherwise addictive and enthralling series.

What's wrong? Three main problems:

1. The main love story is rushed and unconvincing. Vishous, the Brother with the most fear of trusting others (after Zsadist), falls in love the fastest of all -- and begins to think "mine" after hearing only a few words from the heroine. Truly unbelievable. The Vishous in this book barely resembles the one of previous installments.

2. The cosmology goes entirely off the rails, with a rethinking of the major deity in the Brothers' world. The only problem: This new Scribe Virgin is so inconsistent, so egocentric and so unreliable that it is hard to imagine any group of thinking beings being devoted to her. And it is hard to imagine admiring and wanting to know more about beings who would want to worship HER.

3. The picture we see of the Chosen -- the daughters of Brothers and the servants of the Scribe Virgin -- is so misogynistic and so claustrophobic that it is impossible to imagine it coexisting with the Brothers' culture, in which their females are revered, protected and exalted. The two sides cannot have come out of the same values -- which suggests incoherent and ad hoc world-building on Ward's part.

The flaws in world-building and the character contradictions with Ward's earlier books make me very worried for the coming books. Ward needs to step back, rethink the consequences of all her inventions and make sure that the next book is consistent with itself and the world she's built.

32 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not good..., October 3, 2007

By 

Chanelle - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

Wow, I can't believe I am writing a bad review for a JR Ward book. I have been such a huge fan of this series from the beginning, and have faithfully pre-ordered every book, but V's book feels like it was written by someone else completely. It was so disjointed and didn't flow at all. You could really tell that JR had a tough time with this book, and it feels as if she really didn't like V all that much.

All through the series so far, V has been very uncomfortable with his feelings, especially where love is concerned, yet he falls for Jane almost instantly. I don't mean the whole "mine" moment, because I know that happens right away with every brother, but he accepted and embraced being "in love" without any inner conflict what-so-ever. And the woman he falls in love with just doesn't measure up. Jane is very underdeveloped IMO, and her actions don't coincide with her profession or her upbringing. She is supposed to be this stoic no nonsense surgeon who grew up in a rich unfeeling home, yet she speaks like some street rat and falls in love just as quikly as V does...wtf???

I don't even understand why they fell in love in the first place. Jane thinks V is hot, and V likes Jane's brain? And why is Jane so okay with being kidnapped by a bunch of vampires. If I was kidnapped by vampires, I would be freaking out, not exchaning quips with my captor, no matter how hot he was. And the hand job thing...what the hell was that about? V has just kidnapped her, he is her patient, he is a vampire ( which I feel that any sane person might need a little time to adjust to), she is supposed to be very professional, yet she gives him a HJ ( on the first or second day...can't remember) without even knowing his whole first name?? the whole relationship was not believable at all.

I kept having to put this book down. It took me almost four days to read it, and pretty soon I was just skimming. The ending was really lame, but by that time I just didn't care anymore. I'm not invested in their relationship, so don't feel disappointed about the casper issue.

I did enjoy the parts with Phury, and I am probably in the minority as far as Cormia goes. I actually liked her, which is funny because I couldn't stand Marissa. I also really loved the parts with Z and JM, and was happy that JM went through his transition. It really sucks that the good parts of the book were the ones that had nothing to do with the main characters.