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another one in the series - not fabulous, but i do like the characters and keep reading any book in the series!
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This review will contain minor spoilers. 3 ½ stars
The Beast was hard for me to rate. I did enjoy it – 14 books into a series, how could I not enjoy catching up with old friends - so a definite 3 stars. But I didn’t love it. Truth to tell, it didn’t feel like a whole lot actually…happened. In some ways it felt like a recompense to fans for the dreariness and depression that was The Shadows. The Beast was an almost saccharine-ly sweet, over the top celebration of love and life (with the exception of the obligatory death, annihilation and murder). The focus was mostly on Rhage and Mary and it felt like a return to the paranormal romance of the earlier books (which I know many fans of the series enjoy) and a departure from the more action based, multi -story line, urban fantasy (my preference) that it evolved into.
The Beast follows only 4 predominant story lines. A good 60% of the story is taken up by Rhage and Mary and their simultaneous struggles with parental urges and the normal – and totally non-angsty – growing pains of their relationship. Luckily there just so happens to be a newly orphaned young at the Safe Place domestic violence shelter where Mary works, who is in need of a family. Thirteen year old Bitty is eventually adorable and while she starts out as emotionally shut down and traumatized; she bounces back remarkably fast. For fans of Rhage and Mary – The Beast will probably garner 5 stars. And in fact there’s nothing wrong with Hollywood and his steadfast Mary. Unfortunately for me, I just personally find them to be about as entertaining as watching paint dry.
The remainder of the book was about 20% Assail and 15% Xcor/Layla and should have been an automatic round up for me, because Assail/Marisol and Xcor/Layla are my current favorite couples…but again, not a whole lot seemed to happen. Assail spent all his time jonesing for a fix and missing Marisol while infiltrating the glymera on behalf of Wrath. Keeping with the saccharine-ly sweet celebration of life and love theme: Assail does firmly ally himself with Wrath and establish himself as a male of worth – trading drug dealing with the Lessers for arms dealing for the Brothers. And he makes arrangements to drop his monkey off at the zoo. The ½ star incidentally is due entirely to the sexually fluid Assail inviting the homophobic Throe to a rousing game of hide the sausage while undercover on behalf of Wrath at a Bored Housewives of the Glymera sex party. (Sadly despite Throe’s horror at the level of interest of his own sausage – nothing happens – because it was shaping up to be pretty hot).
Then there’s Xcor and Layla – except that Xcor spent 98% of his story line unconscious and Layla spent almost all of it on her back, preggers and laid up in the Brotherhood compound training center/hospital. The remaining 5% is setting up the story of Jo Early – the new pretrans in town.
So in summary – lots of feel good schmaltz – not much actually happening.
The Beast was hard for me to rate. I did enjoy it – 14 books into a series, how could I not enjoy catching up with old friends - so a definite 3 stars. But I didn’t love it. Truth to tell, it didn’t feel like a whole lot actually…happened. In some ways it felt like a recompense to fans for the dreariness and depression that was The Shadows. The Beast was an almost saccharine-ly sweet, over the top celebration of love and life (with the exception of the obligatory death, annihilation and murder). The focus was mostly on Rhage and Mary and it felt like a return to the paranormal romance of the earlier books (which I know many fans of the series enjoy) and a departure from the more action based, multi -story line, urban fantasy (my preference) that it evolved into.
The Beast follows only 4 predominant story lines. A good 60% of the story is taken up by Rhage and Mary and their simultaneous struggles with parental urges and the normal – and totally non-angsty – growing pains of their relationship. Luckily there just so happens to be a newly orphaned young at the Safe Place domestic violence shelter where Mary works, who is in need of a family. Thirteen year old Bitty is eventually adorable and while she starts out as emotionally shut down and traumatized; she bounces back remarkably fast. For fans of Rhage and Mary – The Beast will probably garner 5 stars. And in fact there’s nothing wrong with Hollywood and his steadfast Mary. Unfortunately for me, I just personally find them to be about as entertaining as watching paint dry.
The remainder of the book was about 20% Assail and 15% Xcor/Layla and should have been an automatic round up for me, because Assail/Marisol and Xcor/Layla are my current favorite couples…but again, not a whole lot seemed to happen. Assail spent all his time jonesing for a fix and missing Marisol while infiltrating the glymera on behalf of Wrath. Keeping with the saccharine-ly sweet celebration of life and love theme: Assail does firmly ally himself with Wrath and establish himself as a male of worth – trading drug dealing with the Lessers for arms dealing for the Brothers. And he makes arrangements to drop his monkey off at the zoo. The ½ star incidentally is due entirely to the sexually fluid Assail inviting the homophobic Throe to a rousing game of hide the sausage while undercover on behalf of Wrath at a Bored Housewives of the Glymera sex party. (Sadly despite Throe’s horror at the level of interest of his own sausage – nothing happens – because it was shaping up to be pretty hot).
Then there’s Xcor and Layla – except that Xcor spent 98% of his story line unconscious and Layla spent almost all of it on her back, preggers and laid up in the Brotherhood compound training center/hospital. The remaining 5% is setting up the story of Jo Early – the new pretrans in town.
So in summary – lots of feel good schmaltz – not much actually happening.
and im done... that was as bad as the first book they had together (my least fave along with this and Phurys)..... I love Rhage but Mary is a bit boring making their story just dull.
its a 2 star.... im gunna give it 3 due to Assail and Xcor tho those bits were brilliant... I just dont really think BDB needs a whole book revisiting characters (apart from the king) as well hes the king but Jane and V overtaking Payne and Manny book did my head in too... What happened between Mary and Rhage could have been covered in the background of a more interesting story, it had so much filler.....
Rhev still my fave..... Why couldnt we revisit him instead..... im hoping for new couples where where can revisit the oldies in a few chapters during new books... not going over old characters again and again... i Just hope Cormeia and Phury dont need a second book too..... Really 3 sodding chapters on effing ice cream and sprinkles and Marys consistent inner guilt.... over wanting to stay alive......
FFS
its a 2 star.... im gunna give it 3 due to Assail and Xcor tho those bits were brilliant... I just dont really think BDB needs a whole book revisiting characters (apart from the king) as well hes the king but Jane and V overtaking Payne and Manny book did my head in too... What happened between Mary and Rhage could have been covered in the background of a more interesting story, it had so much filler.....
Rhev still my fave..... Why couldnt we revisit him instead..... im hoping for new couples where where can revisit the oldies in a few chapters during new books... not going over old characters again and again... i Just hope Cormeia and Phury dont need a second book too..... Really 3 sodding chapters on effing ice cream and sprinkles and Marys consistent inner guilt.... over wanting to stay alive......
FFS
Life didn’t have to be perfect . . . for true love to exist in it. ~ J.R. Ward
(I'm not crying. You're crying.)
(I'm not crying. You're crying.)
Welp, this is it. This is the book in the series where I quit.
I hate/laugh read through the thirteen previous books, it was ridiculous, it was some sort of masochistic fun, but I just couldn't get through more than about 10 pages of this (repeatedly, I tried, I even borrowed it from the library twice).
It's been fun guys, but these books have just gotten so bad that they're straight up bad, instead of fun-bad.
I hate/laugh read through the thirteen previous books, it was ridiculous, it was some sort of masochistic fun, but I just couldn't get through more than about 10 pages of this (repeatedly, I tried, I even borrowed it from the library twice).
It's been fun guys, but these books have just gotten so bad that they're straight up bad, instead of fun-bad.
WOW Rhage and Mary's story continues with some serious drama, sweetness, and emotional turmoil. cannot wait to see what comes next for these awesome characters.
All the feels are in this book!! But I may be biased as Rhage has always been my favourite Brother, and now he's a DADDY!! Bitty is just the cutest kid ever, Rhage and Mary are so lucky to have her as their daughter!!