What would you do if your beloved girlfriend suddenly became your worst enemy? That dilemmaโs all too real for Syl Skye.
As the last princess of the fair Fae, Syl is all things brightness and sun and white flame. But even though sheโs Summer incarnate, sheโs drawn to Rouen Rivoche, the dark Fae princess-assassin of the Winter Court.
They should be mortal enemies, but theyโre best friends. Girlfriends. In love.
That is, until an old enemy puts Roue under a dark spell that makes her forget all about Syl, their lives and their love. Now Roue rules Dark Faerie as a cruel and cold Queen, and she wants nothing more than to destroy Syl and her fair Fae people.
Worse, both opposing Faerie realms stand on the brink of utter destruction, and only their queens, Syl and Rouen, can save themโand only if they can put their differences aside for two seconds and fight together as allies.
But how can you fight against an enemy when your true nemesis is on your team?
Spoiler warning: this review contains minor spoilers for the series, but none for this specific book. If you’ve read this far in the series, you’re good to go.
Every book in this series gets better, and Nemesis is no exception. I discovered this series right before Inimical (book 3) released. If you’ve read this far in the series, you know that is the WORST one to end on because of what happens to Rouen. It was painful waiting for an entire year for the next main installment after reading 1 โ 3 back to back. I’m so excited Nemesis is here and we can finally save Rouen! (I hope!)
Nemesis is shorter than the other books in the series but so much happens! There’s lots of action and tension since, you know, Dark Rouen wants to eliminate Syl and take over all of Faerie. Do yourself a favor and read it in one sitting. Don’t get to about 50 pages from the end and have to go to bed so you can go to work because that is NOT a good stopping point! ๐
Throughout Nemesis, we get background information on some characters we’ve met before, meet a handful of new ones, and the dark Fae kids return! The background info-reveals affect both Syl and Rouen which changes how they tackle their current situation. I suspected who a character really was when they were first introduced in an earlier book and I celebrated when I found out I was rightโฆthen I read a few more sentences and DID NOT SEE THAT COMING! ๐ฑ Celebration to shock in 3 sentences.
Per usual, Syl and Rouen are excellent together. Their entertaining banter lightens the tense action scenes, even with Rouen under a spell. I really loved Rouen’s struggle now that her dark side is in control. She remembers her feelings for Syl but her dark side wants more power and doesn’t really care about Syl. Enter Jarden (yes, that puca!!) who decides to gift Rouen with a way to control Syl and become Overqueen of all Faerie. Rouen’s dark side can’t turn down the offer of more power, even though Rouen knows Jarden can’t be trusted. It’s never good when Jarden enters the picture and you know it’s terrible for Syl that she’s helping Rouen.
Syl learns the fair Fae will wake soon and thinks it’s great because they can stop the dark Fae. Then she learns both Faerie realms will perish in seven days when they wake. It’s not a lot of time, especially when Dark Rouen knows she has to kill Syl to prevent Faerie Armageddon and has no problem doing it.
During all this chaos, Syl and Rouen also grow in their relationship. Syl refuses to give up on Rouen even though Dark Rouen has control and decides Syl is a rival to eliminate. Rouen struggles between her feelings for Syl and trying to be the queen her people need. Syl learns some things about Rouen that impact their relationship, but they work through all this while also trying to figure out how to save their people. The ending is perfect.
There are a couple loose ends (mostly, I’m not giving up on a certain character who got swept up in one of the battles!). I’m assuming these will be handled in the final book which releases in 2020. I hope it ends with them on a Disneyland trip because they deserve a vacation after all this. ๐
Author: J.R. Ward Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood Reviewer: Marlou
Content Warnings
Violence, language, graphic sex (smut)
Summary
In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no otherโsix vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.
The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.
This review is about all the Black Dagger Brotherhood books.
Dark Lover
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Okay, I freaking love Wrath. His good friend and โbrotherโ gets blown up and leaves behind his half-breed daughter. Instead of ignoring his friendโs request to take care of her, Wrath does exactly that, he visits her to offer his protection. Only when he gets there, he falls head over heels for her. Beth turns out to be an amazing female who can take care of the brothers of the brotherhood. Sheโs caring and loving and everyone loves her from the first moment they meet her (me included).
Lover Eternal
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
RHAGE YASSSSSS. Gosh, I love him. Heโs like a super cute puppy, only huge with purple scales but hey detailsโฆ I loved this book a lot, I was disappointed to see much less of Beth and Wrath, but Rhage more than made up for it. Mary is amazing too. Not everyone can deal with a male that can turn into a freaking dragon, but oh Mary has that dragon wrapped around her finger, and Rhage would like her fingers wrapped around hisโฆ Iโll remain decent and not finish that sentence.
Lover Awakened
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Yes, hello, can I order one fuzzy blanket to wrap Zsadist in, please? Thank you. Gosh, that male went through a lot and deserves the freaking best. He found Bella, so he gets pretty damn close. This book was more intense than the previous ones. But that came as no surprise because Z is just very intense. Bella is such a precious female, loving Z despite everything (he was a total dick to her). Bella and Z are so cute together and wow Iโm having serious heart eyes here.
Lover Revealed
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
This book was hella different than the rest. It still had plenty of smut and badass males and females. BUT it was also centered around a human who turned out to be not so very human ;). I like Butch, definitely when heโs with Rhage and Vishous, and he was surprisingly fun to read about. I didnโt like Marissa in the first books, but in this one she grew on me. Sheโs still not half as interesting as Beth, Mary and Bella, but Iโm not hating her like I used to.
Lover Unbound
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
A book about my favorite grumpy, smartass vamp? Sign me up! Throw in a super smart female that wonโt deal with his misogynistic bullshit and is all for the BDSM Vishous seems to prefer? Hell yeah, Iโll read this! This book was really good. Why only three stars then? There was something missing and I wonโt go higher than 3.5 stars for smut books since there is much less worldbuilding and storyline than that my epic-fantasy-ass is used to. Jane and V are a very interesting couple to read about and V is just one of my favorite character, so yeah, three stars.
Lover Enshrined
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
This book was very slow and boring, especially compared to the other books in this series that came before it. Phury has never really caught my interest so I already didnโt have high hopes for his book. While I could have been wrong, I wasnโt. Cormia is boring and kinda a crybaby. There are plenty of pages I just skimmed over to get to the good parts.
Lover Avenged
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Suddenly I found out that thereโs a book about Rehvenge, Bellaโs brother, and I didnโt know if I was excited about it or if I wanted a book about the main gang. Turns out Rehv is a very interesting male. Ehlena wasnโt very interesting, but the storyline in this book was, so it more than made up for it.
Lover Mine
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Would you look at thatโJohn Matthew gets his own book. And itโs freaking boring. The relationship of Xhex and John still doesnโt make sense to me and this book was justโฆ meh. John is brother Darius, back from the dead with a new face, and no one finds out. Not even in all the books to come does anyone know that itโs their old friend thatโs been sitting across from them at the dining table. What the heck is that about?
Lover Unleashed
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
V has a sister?! YAY! Payne gets badly hurt, needs a doc to fix her, falls in love with the doc, they have mind-blowing sex… This book got a little too cheesy for me. There also wasnโt much focus on the vampires. Manny decides to work with Jane to patch up the brothers from time to time and, in this book, they suffer severe wounds and without Manny they might have lost someone to injury. Now, that was a scene that kept me on the edge of my seat, and thatโs why this book gets 3 stars.
Lover Reborn
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Thor gets his own book after losing his shellan (wife) and has to find love with someone else to save his beloved? Yeah, Iโm not a fanโฆ Wardโs writing and the fact that she always gives another character a story arc aside from the couple it focuses on saved this book, but I would have give it maybe 1.5 or 2 stars if she hadnโt done that.
Lover at Last
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
QHUINN AND BLAY! QHUINN AND BLAY! SAY IT WITH ME!
Can you tell I love my bisexual sex addict and redhead gay dude? *Heart Eyes* Oh, these boys make me swoon alright. They make me believe in love. Oh gosh, I still can barely type entire sentences, because Iโm so excited about these two.
The King
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
YAASSS THE KING AND QUEEN WHOOO! Beth wants a kid and Wrath doesnโt want to put her in danger (Vamp pregnancies are very dangerous). And, wow, I just loved this book. I love Wrath and Bethโs relationship. Theyโre so epic together. My excitement is getting the better of me so Iโll finish this mini review with: asdfghjkl.
The Shadows
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Why does this book exist? Gosh, this put me right to sleep. I speed read this book and skipped a lot. I just skimmed over the pages in the hopes in finding something interesting, but no, nothing there.
The Beast
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
ANOTHER BOOK ABOUT RHAGEEEEEE! Can you tell Rhage is my favorite? My baby is having panic attacks and he doesnโt know why or how to stop them. Turns out the big puppy has too much love in that big heart of his and wants a kid who he can shower with love. One problem, his lovely Mary canโt have kidsโฆ But they find a way, they always do. This book was freaking cute, but also had me seriously worried for Rhage and Mary. Definitely deserves 3.5 stars.
The Chosen
Rating: 3,5 out of 5 stars
I thought I was totally gonna fall asleep with this bookโjust like I did with The Shadowsโbut I was happily surprised! The Bastards are very interesting to read about. Layla was freaking badass. And everyone else has quite the role in this too. This book was incredibly well balanced and a very enjoyable read!
The Thief
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
The threat of the Omega and the lessening society seems to become less and less, but our favorite vamps cannot rest just yet. A new evil rises and wears the face of an old friend. Yep Iโm hearing you thinking โwell shit.โ Now, lovely readers, thatโs exactly how I felt throughout this book. When I finished this book I realized there werenโt any more books to read and I felt the withdrawal coming on fast. I canโt freaking wait to read the next book.
The Savior
The Saviorโs release date is April 2nd, 2019. Hereโs the synopsis:
A vampire and a scientistโs fates are passionately entwined in a race against time in this thrilling romance in the #1 New York Times bestselling โutterly absorbing and deliciously eroticโ (Angela Knight, New York Times bestselling author) Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
In the venerable history of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, only one male has ever been expelledโbut Murhderโs insanity gave the Brothers no choice. Haunted by visions of a female he could not save, he nonetheless returns to Caldwell on a mission to right the wrong that ruined him. However, he is not prepared for what he must face in his quest for redemption.
Dr. Sarah Watkins, researcher at a biomedical firm, is struggling with the loss of her fellow scientist fiancรฉ. When the FBI starts asking about his death, she questions what really happened and soon learns the terrible truth: Her firm is conducting inhumane experiments in secret and the man she thought she knew and loved was involved in the torture.
As Murhder and Sarahโs destinies become irrevocably entwined, desire ignites between them. But can they forge a future that spans the divide separating the two species? And as a new foe emerges in the war against the vampires, will Murhder return to his Brothers… or resume his lonely existence forevermore?
Thereโs no surprise that this team loves YA fiction. We read it. We talk about it. We follow it on social media. And, sometimes, we just donโt see enough attention cast towards our favorites. Or at least we think there should be more.
Here are several books that we here at Dream Read Repeat feel need a little more love.
The Young Elites
Author: Marie Lu Picked by: Marlou
Why should more people read this book?
Simply put? Because it’s awesome!
The villain is the main character but she’s not really a villain but just a girl who’s always been treated awful and decided she didn’t need anyone in her life telling her what to do. She thinks she’s a hero and that she is saving her country from a corrupt ruler. It also has a very interesting magic system that has always stuck with me even if I can’t quite remember the details of the story anymore.
For people who like…
People who like Shatter Me will like this trilogy!
Time travel, a love story (or three), a World’s Fair with a serial killer! This is a great start to an energetic series. Each book in the trilogy advances the overall plot to stop the end of the world. It gets better and better with each book.
For people who like…
People who likes the straight forward and demonstrative writing styles of Marissa Meyer, Brendan Reichs, or Marie Lu or if you like anything time-travel-y will enjoy this series.
Fast paced enemies to lovers story where Rouen, the dark Fae princess, is under a Contract of Blood and Bone to kill all fair Fae sleeper-princesses. The problem? Syl is the last sleeper-princess and they kind of have feelings for each other. Dark Fae and fair Fae are also supposed to be mortal enemies, but they can change that, right?
Syl Skye, newly crowned Queen of Fair Faerie, would be psyched to be the ruler of her Summer realm, except for two things.
First, her girlfriend Rouen Rivoche became Queen of Dark Faerie, the Winter realm. That would be great except the Winter realmโs always been at war with Summer. By tradition, that makes Rouen Sylโs mortal enemy.
That said, love can break past old hatred, right? Especially with a new foe about to attack them both.
Ah, no.
Which brings us to Sylโs second problem. Rouenโs under a dark spell and doesnโt remember Syl, their lives, their love. Worse, if Syl doesnโt break the spell by the next new moon, Rouen will forget her forever.
To defeat their foe, itโll take two soul-bound queens whose hearts and minds act as one. Trouble is, no one has ever broken the dark spell Rouen suffers from.
Good thing Syl isn’t the type of queen who gives up easily.
This series owes me many hours of sleep, and this book is no exception. I strongly recommend dedicating a couple hours to read in one sitting because there is honestly no good place to say โOkay, I can stop here and come back later.โ There is so much tension! (Make sure your device can handle when you will inevitably tighten your grasp while reading.)
If Syl and Rouenโs problems werenโt enough on their own, the dark Fae kids return to help…or cause havoc. Or maybe both. That Chuck E. Cheese scene! ๐ Rouen defending the dark Fae kids against unfair gaming machines. ๐ The new characters are also great (sounds like Laguna may make a return in Nemesis). We also get Glammaโs point of view a couple times!
You will find yourself smiling, laughing, hoping, and dreading what happens next. Now I need a time machine to take me to September because ROUEN!!! ๐ญ๐ญ
Being a fairy princess isnโt all itโs cracked up to be, especially when you have to choose between saving your peopleโฆAnd killing your girlfriend. Oh, and letโs not forget having to pass summer school, too.
Talk about a hot mess.
First, thereโs Rouen, princess of the dark Fae, goth-rock star Euphoria, and soon-to-be senior at Richmond Elite High. Her world is all things ice, snow, and death. And that death will include her own people unless she can defeat her evil father in a Battle of Wits and War and seize the throne. Trouble is, taking the throne is a death sentence for the princess of the fair Fae. In other words, a quick death for Syl, Rouenโs girlfriend.
And thatโs so not good.
Second, thereโs Syl, princess of the fair Fae, geek girl mathlete, also an incoming senior. Things arenโt any easier for her. Syl must save her people by battling her old nemesis, the fair Fae prince, and the same rules apply: taking the throne means a death sentence for the other courtโs princess, Rouen.
Even worse, Syl and Rouenโs enemies have figured out theyโre in love. Now, both Rouenโs father and Sylโs archenemy are teaming up to ensure neither of them makes it till Midsummerโs Dayโnever mind the fall semester. Looks like passing summer school is the least of their worries!
The action doesn’t really stop in this one – it’s one problem after another. We see Syl and Rouen grow in their relationship and as Fae princesses. Be warned: you will need the next book immediately after reading this one! (It’s currently scheduled for release in September 2019.)
Rouen and Syl have to juggle summer school, their relationship, and saving their Fae realms, which happen to be on a collision course thanks to the Convergence they set in motion. The two are pulled against their will into their respective realms. This shows us a different side of each character since they’ve previously been able to rely on each other but they must tackle these problems independently since they cannot communicate across the different realms, even with their soulbond.
They struggle to come up with a plan to save both realms only to have others interfere and ruin their plan. Through it all they discuss their relationship and its priority with all the chaos going on. Even with everything and everyone telling Rouen and Syl they must destroy each other in order to become Queen, they keep fighting to save both of their realms. This is one of my favorite things about the series โ no matter the odds or the challenges, Syl and Rouen always push back against what they are expected to do in favor of doing what they believe is right.
As with other books in this series, the action rarely slows so it was a page turner, especially near the end when everything comes together.
For eighteen-year-old Rouen Rivoche, being a fairy princess isnโt about fancy parties and happily ever afters.
Rouenโs people are the dark Fae whose powers of lightning, thundersnow, and all things Winter make them cold, severe, and 100% intolerant of rebellion.
Too bad being a rebel is in Rouenโs blood.
Against tradition, sheโs teamed up with Syl Skye, the sleeper-princess of the fair Faeโa mortal enemy who Rouen should want to kill but only wants to kiss. Plus, to be with Syl, Rouenโs masquerading as a glam goth-rock star and human high school student. Honestly, Rouen doesnโt think things could get any more complicated.
Then, she discovers she must become Queen of the Winter Court or all her people will die. No pressure.
Now, dark forces are amassing in the Winter Court, turning Rouenโs people against her and blocking her path to the throne. Even Syl with all her powers of white flame and Summer canโt stop this new kind of evil.
Because betrayal cuts close when itโs someone you loveโฆ and now it looks like Rouenโs going to be dethroned before she ever becomes queen.
This is my favorite novella in the Circuit Fae series so far. We learn so much more about UnderHollow โ the politics, races that live there, and of Rouen’s father, the current king. There is a larger focus on Rouen in this novella, and that’s definitely a plus for me! Rouen finds herself fighting her father for the crown, with the court divided on who should rule. Rouen ends up in prison with kidnapped dark Fae children while her father is slowly killing Syl (because he, of course, does not approve of his daughter dating a fair Fae princess).
All introverted geek girl Syl Skye wants is to get close to her girlfriend. But when you can kill with a simple touch, a normal date nightโs not really in the cards.
As it happens, Syl is also a sleeper-princess of the fair Fae. Last year after a freak accident, her power Awakened, granting her white flame to purify the darkness.
Rouen Rivoche is that darknessโa dark Fae princess whose power to bewitch mortals is as terrifying as the violet lightning she controls. Rouen is Sylโs total opposite. Her mortal enemy.
Sheโs also Sylโs beloved girlfriend.
And even though they joined forces to defeat the evil Circuit Fae who harnessed the killing magic in technology to take over the schoolโฆthat was so last year.
Now, Sylโs touch could mean Rouenโs death. Her increasing power is spiraling out of control, threatening to burn down everything she and Rouen have built together.
Similar to the first book in the series, Moribund, I couldn’t put this down! I was hooked from page one. The book begins with Syl and Rouen trying to get two seconds of peace to have a normal date. They don’t get many since they are Fae princesses and are busy cleaning up from events after Moribund. Syl is learning to control her newly awakened powers, which can destroy Rouen so she’s at risk every time she’s near Syl. Throughout all this, they are the only two who can destroy the Ouroboros so they have to fight near each other. Enter the fair Fae prince to declare Syl should be his queen and it’s just another obstacle for Rouen and Syl to overcome together.
Syl and Rouen face old and new enemies but always have each other’s back. There’s more action and witty dialogue in this book. Rouen is still teaching Syl how to use her powers and they keep up the flirty banter throughout. As soon as you feel like everything is fine and the characters are safe, bad things happen and Syl and Rouen have to get up and fight again.
This book has one of my favorite scenes in the series (it’s near the end and it’s so good!) and it’s so difficult to put down. There is so much tension and so many conflicts that you just want Syl and Rouen to have two seconds of peace. Like in Moribund, the action rarely slows and there are plenty of action scenes.
A goth-rock show. An innocent train ride. Thatโs all it takes for high school sophomore Syl Skyeโs perfectly normal world to come crashing down. Why? Because this train holds the infamous Rouen Rivoche, a dark Fae assassin bent on murdering Syl. This is one journey that should end in tragedy, not two people falling love. Then again, whenever the Fae are involved, thereโs no telling what will happenโฆ
This novella gives background on the major event that sets Moribund in motion and shows how Syl and Rouen first met (there are literal sparks).
I really enjoyed this novella, mostly because it gives more background on Rouen and I kind of love her sassiness. It shows how she’s been fighting the Contract forced upon her and goes deeper into her relationship with Agravaine. It also shows how Syl has been adjusting to her new life after a few personal changes have happened.
High school sophomore Syl Skye is an ordinary girl. At least, sheโs trying to be. School photographer and all-around geek, she introverts hard and keeps her crush on sexy-hot glam-Goth star Euphoria on the down-low. But when a freak accident Awakens her slumbering power, Syl is forced to accept a destiny she never wantedโas the last sleeper-princess of the fair Fae.
Suddenly hunted by the dark Fae, Sylโs pretty sure things canโt get any worse. Until she discovers her secret crush, Euphoria, is really a dark Circuit Fae able to harness the killing magic in technology. Even worse, sheโs been sent to destroy Syl. With mean girls and magic and dark Fae trying to kill her, itโll take more than just โclap if you believe in fairiesโ to save Sylโs baconโnot to mention, her heart.
I love this series! I’m usually not into urban fantasy, but I got this book when it was free because I wanted to try a new fantasy series. I ended up purchasing the other books in the series before finishing the first five chapters.
In this book, Rouen and Syl deal with figuring out their feelings for each other while Rouen is under a Contract of Blood and Bone to kill all fair Fae princesses. The problem? Syl is the last fair Fae princess. I love the tension this creates between the two. Rouen tries her best to protect Syl but at the end of the day, when Agravaine uses her true name, she has to obey the Contract. That puts Syl in a lot of danger because she just found out she’s a Fae princess and doesn’t have full control of her powers.
The dialogue is witty and I laughed out loud several times. It was difficult to put this book down. I stayed up late because I needed to know how Rouen and Syl got out of trouble. The story moves quickly and the action scenes are amazing.
Most of the story takes place in Virginia but you get a glimpse of the dark and fair Fae worlds (you learn a lot more about these worlds in the later books).
Dream Read Repeat 