The Shadows (Black Dagger Brotherhood 13) by J.R. Ward-a review
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About the Book: Release Date March 31, 2015
Trez “Latimer” doesn’t really exist. And not just because the identity was created so that a Shadow could function in the underbelly of the human world. Sold by his parents to the Queen of the S’Hsibe as a child, Trez escaped the Territory and has been a pimp and an enforcer in Caldwell, NY for years- all the while on the run from a destiny of sexual servitude. He’s never had anyone he could totally rely on… except for his brother, iAm.
iAm’s sole goal has always been to keep his brother from self-destructing- and he knows he’s failed. It’s not until the Chosen Serena enters Trez’s life that the male begins to turn things around… but by then it’s too late. The pledge to mate the Queen’s daughter comes due and there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no negotiating.
Trapped between his heart and a fate he never volunteered for, Trez must decide whether to endanger himself and others- or forever leave behind the female he’s in love with. But then an unimaginable tragedy strikes and changes everything. Staring out over an emotional abyss, Trez must find a reason to go on or risk losing himself and his soul forever. And iAm, in the name of brotherly love, is faced with making the ultimate sacrifice…
Review:
As with all of Ward’s books, there’s a lot going on. The Shadows begins a few months after The King ends. Trez has kept his distance from Selena, which has done nothing but confuse her. He knows the clock is ticking. He and iAm have been awaiting the birth of the S’Hsibe Queen’s baby, and that birth will determine if he will have to fulfill his destined servitude to the current heir to the throne. Of course, Selena doesn’t know the details about his potential servitude, but she does know that she wants him with everything in her. Selena makes up her mind that she has to tell Trez how she feels and makes a trip to the Chosen’s sanctuary to clear her head and come up with a plan, but as she is wandering the grounds, disaster strikes.
Trez is at his club where they have a situation that requires the help of the Brothers. V and Rhage make the scene to take care of said situation, when things get a little wonky….. They are giving Trez a bit of a hard time about Selena, when one of them goes too far and Trez attacks. Let’s just say that someone’s eyes light up and things have to happen pretty fast to keep to get Trez to back off, or someone will go into beast mode. Once things calm a little, V has a vision that Trez does not want to hear about……. As if that’s not wonky enough, a certain being appears to let Trez know that he is needed at the Sanctuary, and when he arrives? Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. Absolutely nothing. I can’t say more about what transpires once he arrives, as it would be a major spoiler, but things are set in motion that will leave you on the edge of your seat and a tear in your eye. iAm, of course, plays an integral role in this. It’s no secret that he finds his HEA in this story, but when you finally see who it is? Holy hell………… You will laugh and shake your head at the same time.
We also get to see how Luchas is faring after being rescued from that barrel filled with the Omega’s blood, and he’s not in a good place. Qhuinn pleads with him to feed and do what Doc Jane and Manny tell him to, but all Luchas can see is that he is damaged and he wants out. Permanently. He’s so angry and Qhuinn is so torn as to what to do for him, that he ultimately makes a decision that will have far reaching consequences as far as their relationship goes.
And, let’s not forget about Layla and Xcor and his Band of Bastards. After Wrath was voted in as the king, permanently, in the last book, Throe is not a happy camper, or Bastard as it were. Who does he blame? Xcor…….and Layla’s influence on him. The two still see each other, but things have changed a bit between them, and when Layla voices her thoughts and beliefs on what’s going on, Xcor is not happy. Not because she isn’t spot on with what she says, but that she has figured him out. There is a HUGE shake up with the BoBs, and I, for one, didn’t see that playing out as it did! (Bravo Ward!)
The Brothers are all in this one. Some more than others, but they are all hands on deck as things are dire for the Shadows. Rhage, in particular, plays a big part in this storyline. He is having issues with what’s going on, especially with Trez and Selena. Funny thing about those Brothers……….Family is everything to them, and Trez and iAm are definitely part of that. And, when Wrath speaks, everyone listens. Unless, you’re that knucklehead, Trez. He thinks that by sacrificing himself, he’ll keep the Brothers safe……….. Uh huh……
And, last but not least, we meet Paradise, daughter of Abolone. Why is that of importance, you may ask? She is the heroine in the first book of the new Black Dagger Legacy series. We also get a brief meet and greet with Craeg, the hero of the same story. I can’t wait to find out more about this kid. Even though it was very brief, you know down to your toes that he has a lot of story to tell.
I really liked The Shadows. For me, it was kind of like Phury’s book, although that was my least favorite. It was necessary to take the story through to what’s ahead for the Brothers. I just wish I knew what that was. As I said earlier, we see everyone in this one. Our buddy Lassiter is there, as well as Assail. All of the Brothers, their shellans……….Because what happens in this one is heart breaking, and I know that a lot of readers will be insanely ticked off. If you’re not afraid of spoilers, you can go to Goodreads and read Ward’s post about where she was in her life and how that affected her writing profoundly in this one. I get it. I think I understand, but that doesn’t make me like what happened. I cried in this one. And, not where you would think. For me, it was the way the Brothers all rallied around Trez and iAm that had me doing the ugly cry. And, the way Trez and iAm are always there for each other? Ugly cry again. I know I’ve been vague and rambled a bit about this one, but it was a daunting task. Sandy usually writes these, and no one compares to her, so I did the best I could do. These are such complex books with so much going on, that I get a bit overwhelmed. But, I digress. I love the Brothers. I love J.R. Ward. If I had to pick one paranormal author to read for the rest of my life, it’d be her. Hands down. And, I know she’s going to take some flack over this one, but it’s her world and her characters, and I applaud her for telling her stories her way. Well done, J.R. Ward! Very, very well done.
Reviewed by Vickie M
