Black Dagger Brotherhood (4) - Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward

24/07/2016 17:25

Now to the fourth part of the rather comical series: Lover Revealed (in German Menschenkind & Vampirherz, in French l'amant rélévé), I read it in German where it contained 329 & 302 pages. Originally published 2007.

Butch's life is a mess. He lives in an apartment he doesn't own, someone else buys his clothes and food. He has no job – no life. The woman of his dreams doesn't want to be with him. Even his closest friends won't let him do what he loves: Fighting. Protecting. He's a wrack, not worthy... of her. Especially not after Omega had him in his claws: The evil Butch carries inside him will kill him and Marissa – if he's lucky.

 

I don't like Marissa that much. She's such a hypocrite! She hates her brother for what he did to her – and rightfully so, I could have slapped that man if he wasn't fictional (and a vamp. Where I'm a human. I probably wouldn't have won) – but then she goes and does exactly to to Butch what Havers did to her! This fits to her personality, she only copies what she believes is right. But that doesn't make it okay.

And, because of her behaviour, the ending sucks.

Spoiler:

It's not that I wouldn't want Butch and her to be together, but the way this was solved was so... yeah, it was pathetic. I hate that she realised what she was doing and then didn't explain it to Butch. Instead, she told him it was the girls'. This is a) not really true and b) sounds like Beth threatened her into the marriage. And Butch and Marissa didn't get the opportunity to really explain each other before they made their vows. This is so... seriously, who marries someone without getting the left-over of a real bad fight out of the way? And it was bad. They didn't talk for quite some time!

But I have to admit that I like Marissa's development. I like how she turns from the little wife of the would-be king into a woman who takes her life into her own hands. And what she does,

(Spoiler)

this refuge for the woman and the little girl (by the way, I really liked what she did for them in particular)

is something extra-ordinarily good. Marissa turned from a helpless butterfly into someone who can really move something. I like her for that.

The different stages of this development were very well done.

Spoiler:

Her panic attacks and how she works at the clinic, how she forgets everything around her to take care of Butch.

How she slowly turns into a different person... a person that draws the line and changes herself in order to make her life better. Even if that means she burns her clothes – as drastic as this is, I totally get why she did it. Marissa saw that she has let other people rule her life and hurt her in the process, especially when she tried to give away her very self to do something good for them. This is something you only understand when you experienced it: that physical changes – especially in appearances – help when a relationship is broken beyond repair. It takes courage. And I like that Marissa doesn't sit down and whine but grows stronger to never let this happen to her again. And I also like that she doesn't change her personality completely: She doesn't try to change her core or her values. Which is why she feels so guilty after the burning.

What I was actually sorry for is the fact that the women's relationships are almost never described. 

Spoiler:

At Beth's marriage, Wellsie says that the women stick together like the men do – but this is the only scene in the first five books in which that shows. I would love to see who likes whom and how they help each other – especially when the men are hunting. How they pass their time. Sure, especially Bella and Mary are supposed to be close – but since Mary met Rhage, they stop being together until Zsadist makes them spend some time in part 3. And Bella changed through what she experienced – which probably has a positive effect on the relationship with Mary since she's been through a lot, too. But I'd like to know where Beth stands in all of this. And I'd love to know how she really stands towards Marissa – and Marissa towards the others and so on

Beth is very thankful that Marissa saved Wrath and she probably understands her. But I don't think that her empathy is enough to really get why she was so... weak, such a coward with Butch. Especially since Beth likes him... a lot... And what about Mary and Bella? Mary knows what fear is and how it can make you push others away (I don't think Bella would get that, the former yes, the latter no) so they'd probably be a little closer than Marissa and Z's shellan. And the races? Would it have an effect on the relationships that Mary and Beth are/were actual humans?

I'd love to know all that. But, unfortunately, the women's ties are usually ignored.

Okay, to get back to the main characters and Marissa's changes. I'm sorry for Butch that her development took so much time. Because after what Omega did to him, he would have needed more support. Don't get me wrong, her threat that she wouldn't wait for him or anybody else any longer is a) definitely the right thing for her, b) also made a relationship with equal partners possible and c) helped him to get rid of some of his emotional dead weight. But afterwards, it wasn't that he tried to keep her in a cage to protect her, but that she made the decisions for him. And that's so not right! It completely destroys point b) by the way.

But I do like the way Butch's emotional dead weight is explained. You know from book one about Janie, but almost nothing about the rest of his family. Now you understand a whole lot more, especially about why he acts like he does in all the former books. I think that Butch was planned from the very beginning, his whole background story – all the hints! It's gorgeous.

Apropos “gorgeous”: I like the whole plot with Vishious! That he's in love with Butch and so on. Another thing that was damn well executed. I was so, so sorry for him... seriously, poor boy! This has to be crappy! But I also like the whole balance, how his curse actually heals Butch. Very very very well done!

But it was so obvious who the destroyer is. So, all in all: As always with the Black Dagger Brotherhood: Wonderful characters and society, but unfortunately a little transparent (also the thing with the refuge and so on). But it's still tense and makes you think (as you can see...).

 

In brief:

I give stars for characters (because even though I don't like how Marissa acted, it fits), the ideas, the content and the style. So, nicely done!
 

Prequel:

Lover Awakened
 

Sequel:

Lover Unbound

 

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