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Royal House of Shadows #2
Lord of Rage
Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs. Now they must return and save Elden…and time is running out…
Princess Breena had been dreaming of her warrior lover when she was ripped from her Elden castle and thrown into a strange, dangerous realm. Lost and alone, she prayed for survival and vengeance for her stolen kingdom. She found both in a woodland cottage…in a dark bear of a man.
The goldenhaired beauty had eaten his food and slept in his bed when Osborn found her. Though he wanted to awaken his virgin princess to carnal pleasures, Breena wanted more—including his warrior skills. Skills the oncelegendary mercenary had long buried. Now Osborn had a choice—risk his life or deny his princess her fairytale ending.
Princess Breena had been dreaming of her warrior lover when she was ripped from her Elden castle and thrown into a strange, dangerous realm. Lost and alone, she prayed for survival and vengeance for her stolen kingdom. She found both in a woodland cottage…in a dark bear of a man.
The goldenhaired beauty had eaten his food and slept in his bed when Osborn found her. Though he wanted to awaken his virgin princess to carnal pleasures, Breena wanted more—including his warrior skills. Skills the oncelegendary mercenary had long buried. Now Osborn had a choice—risk his life or deny his princess her fairytale ending.
282 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 27, 2011
92 people are currently reading
2471 people want to read
About the author
Jill Monroe
78 books219 followersI credit my interest in writing romance to my grandmother. She gave me my first Harlequin to read during the hot summer days I spent on my grandparent's acreage in rural Oklahoma.
Immediately I was hooked!!!
Over the years, I would pick up a pen and write down ideas, but it wasn't until I joined Romance Writers of America and then Oklahoma Romance Writers did I become serious. During that time, I completed eight novels.
The first two will never, ever see the light of day. In fact, I should probably destroy these so no one accidentally reads them! Around my third book, I joined a critique group and began to really study the craft of writing.
From there I entered entered several writing contests. In March 2003, one part of my writing dreams came true when I finaled in the Golden Heart.
In late 2000, I learned I placed Honorable Mention in Harlequin's Blaze contest, and began corresponding with the editor who bought my first book. I also won a writing round robin on eHarlequin, which was loads of fun!
On December 18, 2003, I got "The Call" from Harlequin. Actually, my answering machine received the privilege. My seventh novel, Never Naughty Enough was published as a Harlequin Temptation Heat. My sixth novel, Share the Darkness, will be published in April of 2006
I make my home in Oklahoma (where many of my books are set) with my husband and two children. My hobbies include reading, water aerobics with my mother every morning and watching OU play ball. The least domestic thing I like to do is cook.
I met my then future husband as a freshman at the University of Oklahoma (Go Sooners!!), but we didn't marry until after I received my Master's from Missouri State (Yea Bears!). My husband hero often worked overtime so I could attend RWA's National Conferences. The most romantic thing he ever did was arrange for his parents to watch our children so he could drive me to Houston, Texas for the Emily Awards.
Immediately I was hooked!!!
Over the years, I would pick up a pen and write down ideas, but it wasn't until I joined Romance Writers of America and then Oklahoma Romance Writers did I become serious. During that time, I completed eight novels.
The first two will never, ever see the light of day. In fact, I should probably destroy these so no one accidentally reads them! Around my third book, I joined a critique group and began to really study the craft of writing.
From there I entered entered several writing contests. In March 2003, one part of my writing dreams came true when I finaled in the Golden Heart.
In late 2000, I learned I placed Honorable Mention in Harlequin's Blaze contest, and began corresponding with the editor who bought my first book. I also won a writing round robin on eHarlequin, which was loads of fun!
On December 18, 2003, I got "The Call" from Harlequin. Actually, my answering machine received the privilege. My seventh novel, Never Naughty Enough was published as a Harlequin Temptation Heat. My sixth novel, Share the Darkness, will be published in April of 2006
I make my home in Oklahoma (where many of my books are set) with my husband and two children. My hobbies include reading, water aerobics with my mother every morning and watching OU play ball. The least domestic thing I like to do is cook.
I met my then future husband as a freshman at the University of Oklahoma (Go Sooners!!), but we didn't marry until after I received my Master's from Missouri State (Yea Bears!). My husband hero often worked overtime so I could attend RWA's National Conferences. The most romantic thing he ever did was arrange for his parents to watch our children so he could drive me to Houston, Texas for the Emily Awards.
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November 22, 2015
Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who only really lived when she dreamed. Then one day she woke up surrounded by three glowering bears. With patience and love she tamed the fiercest, and with a kiss transformed the beast into a prince.
Jill Monroe takes pen in hand (or fingers to keyboard) to bring us the second installment of the Royal House of Shadows series, Lord of Rage. This is the story of Princess Breena of Elden, and Osborn, the oldest of three Berserker brothers. If you read the first book, Lord of Vampires which was written by Gena Showalter, you’ll recall that Breena is Nicolai’s sister and like her older brother, she was magically transported away from the tragic massacre that claimed the lives of her parents as well as many of the people of Elden. As this story opens, Breena finds herself lost in a forest, being drawn in a particular direction, but not fully understanding of where or why. The words revenge and survive keep playing through her mind, and so do the memories of her warrior, the man who had awaken her body to sensual pleasure – but only in her dreams.
Ten years before the attack on Elden, on the night of his Bärenjagd, Osborn left childhood behind and became a man. In an ancient ritual that not everyone survived, he journeyed to sacred land looking for the bear he’d do battle with. If he survived, Osborn would become a Berserker, a being both revered and feared for his terrifying strength and killing abilities. He knew that one of them would die this night, and Osborn didn’t plan to be the one.
When he and his father returned to their village after the ritual, they found it under attack by Elden's vampires. It was a well planned attack, taking place when the men were away with their sons who were completing the same ritual as Osborn, and even though they returned as Berserkers, they were too late. On that night Osborn vowed to hunt down and kill all of those responsible for the massacre of his people.
Believe it or not, all of the above takes place in the prologue and first chapter!
Now fast forward to the present time of the story and Breena finds her way to a small cottage, and in Goldilocks and the Three Bears fashion, makes herself right at home, only to be rudely awaken by a gruff man who she recognizes as her dream warrior! Her memories have been slowly returning and she knows that this is the man who can help her get the revenge she so desperately needs.
I really enjoyed the world Jill Monroe created, and while it's very different from that of the first book, it's supposed to be! Each of the royal heirs has a different power or ability, so it stands to reason the worlds in which their stories take place would be different, too.
As for the characters, Osborn, Breena, and Osborn's brothers, Bernt and Torben, I think one of the reasons shorter books seldom get more than 4 stars from me is because there isn't enough time to develop the players into people I really care about. That said, I know that the next books in this series are about the royal heirs, Dayn and Micah, but I wish they were about Bernt and Torben, who I became very fond of. I'm hoping we'll see more of them in the next two books, or perhaps a spin off or a series extension. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed!
Now, while I know the Berserker part of the story told in this book is fictional, it captivated me none-the-less because I've always been interested in ancient traditions and rituals, and the deep meanings they hold within different cultures. As I mentioned, Osborn goes through his Bärenjagd and I appreciated the reverence with which this scene was written. I have such a profound respect for these ages old customs, and while they often ended in violence, they weren’t just for sport. Even though he came out the victor, Osborn felt the weight of what he’d done as he realized it was much harder to take a life than he had thought it would be. But his father’s guidance and wisdom would stay with Osborn for as long as he lived and I'm including this quote because it speaks volumes as to the man Osborn would become.
“It was harder than I thought. I didn’t think I’d feel this way,” Osborn blurted out for no reason he could guess. He regretted his rash words instantly.The bottom line - Lord of Rage is an entertaining installment to the Royal House of Shadows series, but it started strong then hit a plateau that lasted through most of the book. I enjoyed the training scenes, and getting to know Osborn's younger brothers was one of the highlights of this book for me. The ending felt a bit anticlimactic but I was still left wanting to know more about this family! I want to see them come together and, in the end, triumph over the evil which has invaded Elden.
That was a boy’s sentiments. Not a man’s. Not a warrior’s.
“It’s not supposed to be easy. Taking of a life, any life, should never be something done without need and compassion.” He stood, slinging his pack over his shoulder. “Guide me to the bear. We must prepare it.”
They trekked silently together, crossing into the sacred land to where the bear had taken its final breaths. His father taught him to honor the bear in the ancient ways, then they set to work.
“Now you possess the heart of the bear. As a warrior of Ursa, you will carry the bear’s spirit with you. Your ber spirit will always be there, waiting silent within you, ready for your call. The strength of the bear comes to you when you wear your Bärenhaut,” his father told him, lifting up the bear pelt. “Do not don your pelt without thought and careful consideration. You will be able to kill, Osborn, and kill easily. But only with honor.”
This ARC ebook was provided free of charge by netgalley.com in behalf of Harlequin. This had no influence on my rating or my review.
3.5/5
December 22, 2015
While this was better written than the first book, it still put me off because of the following:
1. Too many damn inconsistencies. One minute, Osborn's father told him to be honourable, and then the next, he told him to kill "easily" and "without compassion." Um, I'd like to know what dictionary he used because that seemed like a conceptual contradiction to me.
Also, the book mentioned that Breena knew nothing of sex - nothing beyond a kiss - but in a dream, she wantonly showed Osborn her breasts. And oh, apparently Osborn hated vampires (his family was killed by them).. but Breena's older brother was a vampire. LOL. That would certainly make family reunions interesting.
2. Osborn was an indecisive asshole, and Breena was an invertebrate who went with all his fucked up whims.
Repeat that scene for around 9000000000 times and you've basically covered around 90% of the book. Yawn.
My expectations for this series are so low now that I wouldn't be surprised if any of the characters sprouted an extra head at some point.
1. Too many damn inconsistencies. One minute, Osborn's father told him to be honourable, and then the next, he told him to kill "easily" and "without compassion." Um, I'd like to know what dictionary he used because that seemed like a conceptual contradiction to me.
Also, the book mentioned that Breena knew nothing of sex - nothing beyond a kiss - but in a dream, she wantonly showed Osborn her breasts. And oh, apparently Osborn hated vampires (his family was killed by them).. but Breena's older brother was a vampire. LOL. That would certainly make family reunions interesting.
2. Osborn was an indecisive asshole, and Breena was an invertebrate who went with all his fucked up whims.
Osborn: I want you, Breena.
Breena (because she was a spineless chit): Oh, yes, Osborn, take me. Take me, lover boy. I don't care if you disrespect me by treating me like a whore, I lurve you.
(Torrid kissing ensues until Osborn suddenly stops.)
Osborn: I'm angry because (insert ludicrous reason here). Get away from me.
Repeat that scene for around 9000000000 times and you've basically covered around 90% of the book. Yawn.
My expectations for this series are so low now that I wouldn't be surprised if any of the characters sprouted an extra head at some point.
August 13, 2011
I like the world created in this series, and I so far have really liked the fresh perspective in each book, since each book has a different author.
I think the first chapter (Osborn's history) and the prologue (Breena's present) could have been switched to make the story a bit easier to follow. The prologue is Breena running from the attack on her people, the first chapter takes place 10 years prior, then we're back to Breena a couple days after the kingdom falls.
I was confused a bit, as I thought in Lord of the Vampires Nicolai had been held captive for years...Breena's story takes place immediately after the king and queen are murdered, and then send their children away with only two things in their minds...avenge and survive.
[btw Jill Monroe told me that the timeline will be cleared up by the 4th book. So where I thought they would all run concurrently, I guess not]
Breena's memory isn't fully there when she finds herself in a strange forest. She knows who she is, just not the details of what happened and how she got to be running through the forest with avenge and survive as her mantra. Every time she tries to remember something, she gets a splitting headache, her magic is gone, and she is very afraid. Then she comes upon a cabin in the woods. This is such a cute spin on Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
The three "Bears" are actually "bers" or berserkers. In the first chapter we see Osborn getting his pelt-he goes out, finds a bear, and he has to kill the bear, thus merging their spirits (which the story of that, with the bermannen was super cool!). But his people are attacked immediately afterwards. All but his 2 little brothers and himself are slaughtered. It is awful. At 14 he not only is responsible for the care of 2 little boys (think ages 4 and 5), but his people are gone. He hires himself out as a mercenary until he can no longer justify that job-which for a man who feels he has no honor, is a pretty big deal. He then takes his now teenage brothers and retreats to the cabin on Ursa lands.
This is where Breena finds him.
Breena has been dreaming of him, and entering his dreams for a while now, and finding her warrior is not only real, but standing in front of her is just what she needs. She thinks he will help her avenge her family, and fight to get her kingdom back. Breena never expected him to say no. But Osborn will be no one's mercenary again. Not even Breena's.
What I liked was watching them grow to love each other. My favorite part in the whole book actually has to do with the cover. I love this cover-this is a case of the artist getting it exactly right-the gown, the armband, the color. All of it! See, Osborn went into the village to get info about her people, to see if any survived, and he sees a gown, a cloak and an armband-he just has to get them for her. And this big tough warrior gives them to Breena like this,
"I uh, got this for you."
aww...He was so sweet.
But the main thing that makes this book a 4 rather than a 5, is that during that whole time where we see them falling in love, and learning each other, it gets a bit slow. There was one attack, almost immediately, then nothing until the very end. I did like how the end battle played out, but I thought it was over too quick, and I really wanted to scream at Breena for believing Osborn could just walk away like that.
But on the whole, I was hooked instantly, and I think that this book flows a lot better than Gena's book, I loved the world that these authors have created, and I am not only loading up Lord of the Wolfyn onto my Nook right now, but I really like Jill Monroe's writing style. I'm looking up Ms. Monroe's backlist on fictionwise right now :)
***ARC supplied by netgalley.com
http://www.demonloversbooksandmore.co...
I think the first chapter (Osborn's history) and the prologue (Breena's present) could have been switched to make the story a bit easier to follow. The prologue is Breena running from the attack on her people, the first chapter takes place 10 years prior, then we're back to Breena a couple days after the kingdom falls.
I was confused a bit, as I thought in Lord of the Vampires Nicolai had been held captive for years...Breena's story takes place immediately after the king and queen are murdered, and then send their children away with only two things in their minds...avenge and survive.
[btw Jill Monroe told me that the timeline will be cleared up by the 4th book. So where I thought they would all run concurrently, I guess not]
Breena's memory isn't fully there when she finds herself in a strange forest. She knows who she is, just not the details of what happened and how she got to be running through the forest with avenge and survive as her mantra. Every time she tries to remember something, she gets a splitting headache, her magic is gone, and she is very afraid. Then she comes upon a cabin in the woods. This is such a cute spin on Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
The three "Bears" are actually "bers" or berserkers. In the first chapter we see Osborn getting his pelt-he goes out, finds a bear, and he has to kill the bear, thus merging their spirits (which the story of that, with the bermannen was super cool!). But his people are attacked immediately afterwards. All but his 2 little brothers and himself are slaughtered. It is awful. At 14 he not only is responsible for the care of 2 little boys (think ages 4 and 5), but his people are gone. He hires himself out as a mercenary until he can no longer justify that job-which for a man who feels he has no honor, is a pretty big deal. He then takes his now teenage brothers and retreats to the cabin on Ursa lands.
This is where Breena finds him.
Breena has been dreaming of him, and entering his dreams for a while now, and finding her warrior is not only real, but standing in front of her is just what she needs. She thinks he will help her avenge her family, and fight to get her kingdom back. Breena never expected him to say no. But Osborn will be no one's mercenary again. Not even Breena's.
What I liked was watching them grow to love each other. My favorite part in the whole book actually has to do with the cover. I love this cover-this is a case of the artist getting it exactly right-the gown, the armband, the color. All of it! See, Osborn went into the village to get info about her people, to see if any survived, and he sees a gown, a cloak and an armband-he just has to get them for her. And this big tough warrior gives them to Breena like this,
"I uh, got this for you."
aww...He was so sweet.
But the main thing that makes this book a 4 rather than a 5, is that during that whole time where we see them falling in love, and learning each other, it gets a bit slow. There was one attack, almost immediately, then nothing until the very end. I did like how the end battle played out, but I thought it was over too quick, and I really wanted to scream at Breena for believing Osborn could just walk away like that.
But on the whole, I was hooked instantly, and I think that this book flows a lot better than Gena's book, I loved the world that these authors have created, and I am not only loading up Lord of the Wolfyn onto my Nook right now, but I really like Jill Monroe's writing style. I'm looking up Ms. Monroe's backlist on fictionwise right now :)
***ARC supplied by netgalley.com
http://www.demonloversbooksandmore.co...
April 10, 2020
This was good. The Hero was very resistant to protect the heroine. Personally, I like a hero who goes after what they want. I would suggest reading/listening to the first book. It’s a continued storyline with different couples in each book. Overall I liked it, I just prefer less resistance. The narrator for the audiobook was good. I enjoyed her performance.
December 7, 2016
Meh! The story and the characters were awfully inconsistent.
Being in the middle of second decade of her life means being 15 years old so either the h was 15 years old or the author had made some miscalculations!
Being in the middle of second decade of her life means being 15 years old so either the h was 15 years old or the author had made some miscalculations!
September 30, 2011
Ok, I found this installment in the Royal House of Shadows series much better! The first in this series was (unfortunately, because I usually love Showalter's writing) a bit of a let down, but I found that I enjoyed Jill Monroe's take on Goldilocks and the Three Bears (especially since the bear who is just right is a yummy alpha Berserker!).
This story focuses on Princess Breena, one of the heirs to the kingdom of Elden, who's lived a rather sheltered life, has yet to really come into her powers, and has been dreamscaping with a sexy unknown warrior for some time. When Elden is overthrown, the king and queen fling their children away to safety and Breena finds herself in Ursa where (after eating his oatmeal, sitting in his chair and sleeping in his bed) she meets Osborn, a vengeful, reclusive Berserker, who (wonder of wonders) also happens to be the warrior she's been sharing dreams with. The two are (of course) incredibly attracted to one another, and while Osborn wants to get right down to, um, "business", he is reluctant to help Breena avenge her family. Sexual tension ensues, with the gruff Berserker trying to first rid himself of temptation (ie Breena) and then just plain old resist her while trying to train her to fight and defend herself. Needless to say they share some very sexy moments...
I also enjoyed the other two 'bears', Osborn's much younger brothers on the cusp of manhood. It would be fun to see how they end up - hint hint Ms. Monrow.... Now, I'm awaiting the next in the series, Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Anderson (an author I've never read before).
This story focuses on Princess Breena, one of the heirs to the kingdom of Elden, who's lived a rather sheltered life, has yet to really come into her powers, and has been dreamscaping with a sexy unknown warrior for some time. When Elden is overthrown, the king and queen fling their children away to safety and Breena finds herself in Ursa where (after eating his oatmeal, sitting in his chair and sleeping in his bed) she meets Osborn, a vengeful, reclusive Berserker, who (wonder of wonders) also happens to be the warrior she's been sharing dreams with. The two are (of course) incredibly attracted to one another, and while Osborn wants to get right down to, um, "business", he is reluctant to help Breena avenge her family. Sexual tension ensues, with the gruff Berserker trying to first rid himself of temptation (ie Breena) and then just plain old resist her while trying to train her to fight and defend herself. Needless to say they share some very sexy moments...
I also enjoyed the other two 'bears', Osborn's much younger brothers on the cusp of manhood. It would be fun to see how they end up - hint hint Ms. Monrow.... Now, I'm awaiting the next in the series, Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Anderson (an author I've never read before).
March 10, 2016
Book 2 (take off of Goldilocks)
Way better than #1. At least here we have better storyline, better dialogue and much better hero/heroine. The writing is far more sophisticated, not jumbled, and the POV thinking of the characters are clear and precise. The logic of the plot and magic is more reasonable and believable. My only beef is the last fight scene was lame. No tension, little description of action, and way too short. Lastly the author never goes into the significance of the timepiece.
Way better than #1. At least here we have better storyline, better dialogue and much better hero/heroine. The writing is far more sophisticated, not jumbled, and the POV thinking of the characters are clear and precise. The logic of the plot and magic is more reasonable and believable. My only beef is the last fight scene was lame. No tension, little description of action, and way too short. Lastly the author never goes into the significance of the timepiece.
February 9, 2016
Better than the first book. I actually liked the two main characters this time around. I still feel that so much more could have been put into this story though.
September 25, 2011
Princess Breena had been dreaming of her warrior lover when she was ripped from her Elden castle and thrown into a strange, dangerous realm. Lost and alone, she prayed for survival and vengeance for her stolen kingdom. She found both in a woodland cottage…in a dark bear of a man.
The golden-haired beauty had eaten his food and slept in his bed when Osborn found her. Though he wanted to awaken his virgin princess to carnal pleasures, Breena wanted more—including his warrior skills. Skills the once-legendary mercenary had long buried. Now Osborn had a choice—risk his life or deny his princess her fairy-tale ending.
Breena is definitely out of her depth. Not only are her parents dead, but she's all alone in an unfamiliar place. And to top it all, she has two contradictory impulses that her parents imprinted on her: Survive! and Avenge!. Luckily for her she's not alone - her dream warrior (or lover as she calls him in the privacy of the night) is there. But Osborn refuses to get involved.
Osborn's childhood had been great, up until the night that his entire family and hell species, was brutally slayed. He swore vengeance on the kingdom on Elden and it's royal family. But survival was his first mission. He had to do a lot of things that wounded his soul so that his younger brothers could survive. He accepted his fate, such as it is. But then he met Breena, and his entire world changed.
I like the premise of the book, the kingdom in jeopardy, the royal heirs scattered around, having to fight for their birthright and their people. And the entire Goldilocks and the Three Bears theme - not a one I see often, and I did enjoy it.
Unfortunately, I didn't like the book that much. Mainly the problem is in Breena. I know her entire life was turned upside down, but I simply couldn't understand her. I admire the fact that she wanted to help her people even though nothing in her life has prepared her for it. When she failed to convince Osborn to help her, she made him teach her how to fight. But I kept thinking what's the point of it. I would've understood if she wanted to learn it so that she could protect herself, but no it's all for the revenge. If she led a rebellion her people wouldn't need her to fight, the need a leader, a planner, or at least a figurehead. And I was surprised to find out that she had memory loss, it didn't feel that way, didn't she think of her family, kingdom and being a princess a lot?
Osborn is an OK hero. A berserker with a lot of heart. He spent most of his adult life taking care of his brothers, true sometimes he was bad at it, he tended to be overprotective, but still an admirable feat. He comes across as a gruff, unfriendly, sometimes down mean guy, but he's such a softy inside. When he went to the village and bought all the stuff for Breena... *Sigh*
So, to summarize: I like Osborn and the theme, but Breena is simply to unlikable. I have a hard time giving a book a higher rating when the heroine annoys me, double standards I know, since I mostly don't mind the heroes being stupid, but unfortunately:
Rating:
2 stars
*ARC provided by NetGalley*
September 20, 2011
Lord of Rage is the second book in the 4-part “Royal House of Shadows” series by Jill Monroe, Gena Showalter, Jessica Andersen and Nalini Singh. From reading the blurb, Lord of Rage appears to be inspired by “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” As a lover of fairy tales and fairy tales retold, I was very excited to read this book about Princess Breena and the Ursa warrior, Osborn. Unfortunately, Lord of Rage did not live up to my expectations.
First, the good. I enjoyed learning the lore about the Ursans and how they embodied the revered bears. The respect they showed towards the bears after battling to the death was particularly touching. I also enjoyed the scenes with Osborn’s little brothers, Bernt and Torben. It’s easy to create child characters as fodder for the hero and heroine and I’ve seen it happen too many times to count. But in Lord of Rage, you get a feel for Bernt and Torben’s personalities, instead of them just being the little brothers cast to make Osborn look good. I would have liked to learn more about them. I also enjoyed the intimate scenes between Breena and Osborn. Osborn has the strength and instincts of a bear, so of course he went completely animalistic on her. That scene against the tree in the woods? Let’s just say that I crossed and uncrossed my legs so many times in class when I was reading that scene that my instructor asked me if I had to use the bathroom.
On to the not so good. Breena was a complete damsel in distress. She referred to Osborn as her warrior on several occasions and would’ve liked nothing more than for him to help her save her kingdom and avenge her parents. It got to the point that she came off as extremely selfish for wanting him to put his brothers and his own life in jeopardy because she needed someone to kick ass and take names. Not to mention, I personally enjoy heroines who save themselves instead of waiting for the hero to chop the wood and bring home the bacon. While it’s true that Breena became more independent as the story progressed (Osborn taught her how to sword fight and Breena learned how to use her magic) I still expected her to swoon over a broken nail. There was so much she could’ve done to prove that she was a badass heroine worthy of the masculine and powerful Osborn, but she fell short. She was definitely not the kind of heroine I go for and only tolerate in old school bodice rippers.
I also didn’t enjoy how cranky Osborn was for most of this book. I get it. Bears are grouchy. Osborn has lots of guilt from a devastation is his past. But was it really necessary for him to act like such an ass? It made it very hard for me to find anything redeeming about his character in terms of personality. Yeah, he’s hot. But I find my BOB to be pretty damn hot as well-and he doesn’t come with chip on his shoulder.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, this book wasn’t anything special. Nothing really stood out to make me have a bookgasm. Lord of Rage was enjoyable but it’s not a book I’d put on my keeper shelf. Then again, there’s something to be said about mediocrity. I’d rather read a book that was okay than one that made me want to drink bleach and this book definitely was not that.
First, the good. I enjoyed learning the lore about the Ursans and how they embodied the revered bears. The respect they showed towards the bears after battling to the death was particularly touching. I also enjoyed the scenes with Osborn’s little brothers, Bernt and Torben. It’s easy to create child characters as fodder for the hero and heroine and I’ve seen it happen too many times to count. But in Lord of Rage, you get a feel for Bernt and Torben’s personalities, instead of them just being the little brothers cast to make Osborn look good. I would have liked to learn more about them. I also enjoyed the intimate scenes between Breena and Osborn. Osborn has the strength and instincts of a bear, so of course he went completely animalistic on her. That scene against the tree in the woods? Let’s just say that I crossed and uncrossed my legs so many times in class when I was reading that scene that my instructor asked me if I had to use the bathroom.
On to the not so good. Breena was a complete damsel in distress. She referred to Osborn as her warrior on several occasions and would’ve liked nothing more than for him to help her save her kingdom and avenge her parents. It got to the point that she came off as extremely selfish for wanting him to put his brothers and his own life in jeopardy because she needed someone to kick ass and take names. Not to mention, I personally enjoy heroines who save themselves instead of waiting for the hero to chop the wood and bring home the bacon. While it’s true that Breena became more independent as the story progressed (Osborn taught her how to sword fight and Breena learned how to use her magic) I still expected her to swoon over a broken nail. There was so much she could’ve done to prove that she was a badass heroine worthy of the masculine and powerful Osborn, but she fell short. She was definitely not the kind of heroine I go for and only tolerate in old school bodice rippers.
I also didn’t enjoy how cranky Osborn was for most of this book. I get it. Bears are grouchy. Osborn has lots of guilt from a devastation is his past. But was it really necessary for him to act like such an ass? It made it very hard for me to find anything redeeming about his character in terms of personality. Yeah, he’s hot. But I find my BOB to be pretty damn hot as well-and he doesn’t come with chip on his shoulder.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, this book wasn’t anything special. Nothing really stood out to make me have a bookgasm. Lord of Rage was enjoyable but it’s not a book I’d put on my keeper shelf. Then again, there’s something to be said about mediocrity. I’d rather read a book that was okay than one that made me want to drink bleach and this book definitely was not that.
August 7, 2019
A fun twist on Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Lost in a strange land and running for her life, Breena came across a tidy little cottage in the clearing of a wooded forest. Getting no answer when she knocks, she opens the door and enters. She finds and eats the porridge keeping warm on the stove. Then drinks their lemonade and tired from travels, sits on the closest chair and breaks it. Exhausted and unable to think clearly, Breena walks into the second room of the cottage where she finds three beds and drops on to the largest of the three and promptly falls asleep.
And that where the three Berserkers found her, their very own Goldilocks.
I loved fairy tales as a child and still do. This book was a real treat. A grown up twist on my childhood, done really well and with really naughty bits. What more could a big girl ask for?
Lost in a strange land and running for her life, Breena came across a tidy little cottage in the clearing of a wooded forest. Getting no answer when she knocks, she opens the door and enters. She finds and eats the porridge keeping warm on the stove. Then drinks their lemonade and tired from travels, sits on the closest chair and breaks it. Exhausted and unable to think clearly, Breena walks into the second room of the cottage where she finds three beds and drops on to the largest of the three and promptly falls asleep.
And that where the three Berserkers found her, their very own Goldilocks.
I loved fairy tales as a child and still do. This book was a real treat. A grown up twist on my childhood, done really well and with really naughty bits. What more could a big girl ask for?
September 30, 2011
e-ARC provided by Net-galley
4 stars
#2 in Royal of Shadows series
Brenna is the only princess of Elden Kingdom, and her parent already arranged a marriage for her, even she doesn't want it. But when Blood Sorcerer attack Elden, she must flee and escape, then gather force to once again take over Elden from the enemy. With her parent's last help and dying wish, Brenna had teleported to the land of the Beserker..
Osborn is beserker, who make bear spirit as his power. When he's first reach his beserker status, his village is attacked, and he's recognized the attacker are Elden's vampire soldier. After that he hate Elden with passion and become mercenary. So, he's so surprise when he find a beautiful woman in his bed. That beautiful woman of course is Brenna, who stumbled over to Osborn's home. Realized Osborn is beserker, Brenna asked for his help to gather force and help Brenna's brother, Nikolai to attack Elden, under Blood Sorcerer's reign. Osborn must fight his hatred to Elden, and his passion as well, since he's falling in love with that princess deeply.
Lord of Rage are less action and less steamy than the first. But I really enjoy the story. Dare I say this book is better than Lords of The Vampires? *gasp*Osborn is better than Nicolai ;), he such a bear, big man with big heart. Lord of Rage is a retelling of "Goldilocks and The Three Bears". I can enjoy this more than the first book, because the story most focused to Brenna and Osborn. To how they manage their relationship. No more confusing term here, because the world building already explain in the first book. Brenna and Osborn are so cute together and they are my favorite couple from this series. Ms Monroe's writing are good too, make readers can easily understand and enjoy the story =)
Royal House of Shadow series are a series that can't be missed by all of Paranormal Romance lovers.Readers will love the retelling of four fairy tales by four talented authors!
4 stars
#2 in Royal of Shadows series
Brenna is the only princess of Elden Kingdom, and her parent already arranged a marriage for her, even she doesn't want it. But when Blood Sorcerer attack Elden, she must flee and escape, then gather force to once again take over Elden from the enemy. With her parent's last help and dying wish, Brenna had teleported to the land of the Beserker..
Osborn is beserker, who make bear spirit as his power. When he's first reach his beserker status, his village is attacked, and he's recognized the attacker are Elden's vampire soldier. After that he hate Elden with passion and become mercenary. So, he's so surprise when he find a beautiful woman in his bed. That beautiful woman of course is Brenna, who stumbled over to Osborn's home. Realized Osborn is beserker, Brenna asked for his help to gather force and help Brenna's brother, Nikolai to attack Elden, under Blood Sorcerer's reign. Osborn must fight his hatred to Elden, and his passion as well, since he's falling in love with that princess deeply.
Lord of Rage are less action and less steamy than the first. But I really enjoy the story. Dare I say this book is better than Lords of The Vampires? *gasp*Osborn is better than Nicolai ;), he such a bear, big man with big heart. Lord of Rage is a retelling of "Goldilocks and The Three Bears". I can enjoy this more than the first book, because the story most focused to Brenna and Osborn. To how they manage their relationship. No more confusing term here, because the world building already explain in the first book. Brenna and Osborn are so cute together and they are my favorite couple from this series. Ms Monroe's writing are good too, make readers can easily understand and enjoy the story =)
Royal House of Shadow series are a series that can't be missed by all of Paranormal Romance lovers.Readers will love the retelling of four fairy tales by four talented authors!
September 12, 2013
Bu kitap serideki ilk kitaptan kat be kat güzeldi bence.. Nicolai'dan sonra kız kardeşi Breena'ya ne olmuş onu da öğrendik.. Sırada Dayn var bakalım o nerelerde? Orduyu yavaş yavaş topluyor kardeşler kendi çaplarında son kitapta birleşecekler sanırım hadi bakalım :D
Bir de söylemeden geçemeyeceğim, şu kitapların kapaklarına bayılıyorum... Birebir kitapta ne anlatılmışsa onu yansıtıyorlar bizlere, çok da iyi yapıyorlar :D
Bir de söylemeden geçemeyeceğim, şu kitapların kapaklarına bayılıyorum... Birebir kitapta ne anlatılmışsa onu yansıtıyorlar bizlere, çok da iyi yapıyorlar :D
Read
December 24, 2014Miniseries: Royal House of Shadows
December 10, 2011
Really, Really liked Osborn and Breena!
Great twist to Goldilocks and the Three Bears!
Great twist to Goldilocks and the Three Bears!
August 23, 2011
This review was posted at Under The Covers
Lord of Rage was a UTC group read for us so instead of writing a group review, we decided to use our IM chat as our review. Note that this is a real IM chat between us three, so we will be more candid and you can finally see how much abuse I receive from *jerks thumb at Francesca and Suzanne* these two. You have been forewarned! This is UTC, unscripted.
Annie: Okay let’s do this!
Suz: So Breena and Osborn...
Annie: What did you think of Breena?
Suz: I like her better the Jane
Annie: Me too! She’s much easier it relate to, I felt bad for her.
Suz: She also has cool powers
Annie: Actually, I didn’t feel too bad, she got a sexy berserker.
Fran: Yes her powers were cool but I really liked her personality. She was tough but still easy going.
Suz: Yeah no stupid moments, or worse maidenly ones!
Annie: What about Osborn? I loved him, I loved reading about his background
Suz: OSBORN!
Annie: Sexy sexy man!
Fran: I thought he was adorable and hot
Suz: I loved him, and he bought her present!
Annie: Definitely sexy, what was your favourite scene with him?
Fran: Hmmm, when he changed the energy at the lake.
Suz: Oh yeah! Where he goes down on her to save the day! I wish that happened in my life
Annie: LOL ME TOO! *pouts*
Fran: Me three!
Annie: So what didn’t you like about the book?
Fran: I didn’t like that there was no big battle.
Suz: It didn’t feel like it had finished, it like it had just started and then it ended!
Fran: Nothing ever really happens
Annie: I agree, I felt like it built up a lot and then…it was just okay in the end. The timeline confused me as well, it was weird especially from the first book.
Fran: Yeah the timeline throw me off.
Me: Yeah, because Nicolai isn’t saved until years later but this is set almost straight away. Apparently it is all explained though.
Fran: Another thing, there wasn’t enough sex and steam!!
Annie: The sex was good, but I want more!
Suz: HUSSIES!
Fran: lol!
Suz: Another thing I didn’t like was how easily Osborn stopped hating the Eldens after Breena just said “it isn’t us.”
Fran: Yeah that was too easy.
Annie: Oh yeah. After all that time hating Eldens, he was like *shrugs* okay cool.
Suz: LOL!
Fran: He had this hate inside for years and all it takes is one word from her and everything is okay.
Annie: Pussy whipped.
Fran: Totally!
Annie: Where’s my whip?
Fran: Breena has it!
Suz: LOL!
Fran: Okay one thing I loved.
Suz: Yes?
Fran: The Goldilocks reference
Annie: Oh yes!
Suz: Yes! That was funny I loved that
Annie: I liked the very end, that excerpt thing, it was very cute. What did you think of Jill Monroe’s writing? This is the first one of hers that I have read.
Fran: Me too, I loved it
Suz: I liked it, it was simple and to the point.
Fran: Very easy to read.
Annie: I think it was a very fast read for me, very easy to read.
Suz: It wasn’t trying to be all poetic and all that.
Annie: Exactly, enough description and it didn’t lag.
Annie: How’d you like the Berserker reference and backstory?
Suz: I liked it, I liked the idea of Berserkers
Annie: I thought it was pretty badass. I love the Berserkers.
Fran: I liked it too.
Suz: I loved it when he shagged her in his bearskin LOL!
Annie: ME TOO!
Fran: Berserkers are hot
Annie: Man I want that!
Suz: Me too, against a tree trunk yum!
Annie: yummy!
Fran: Double yum LOL!
Suz: Double yum! TWO BERSERKERS! At once!
Fran: His brothers were cute too
Suz: They were sweet, when they are older, there are your TWO BERSERKERS!
Annie: Excited about the next book?
Suz: I am
Fran: I am!!! This series is sweet light fun, entertaining
Suz: It is, I can’t wait to see what happens in the end and how they bring it all together. So the most important question! Nicolai or Osborn?
Annie: OSBORN!
Suz: haha me too!
Fran: Osborn
Annie: I want a Berserker baby!
Fran: Lol!
Suz: Lol!
Fran: This couple wins hands down
Annie: I think so, what do you think about the Elden world?
Suz: It is good but we aren’t given that much info. It is in bits and pieces. We don’t know how the world works as a whole if you know what I mean
Annie: yea it’s still up in the air after 2 books.
Fran: Yeah I agree.
Annie: Okay cool question. If you could write a series like this with 4 authors, who would you pick?
Suz: Good question! JR Ward, Kresly Cole, Christine Warren, or maybe Jeaniene Frost and ILONA ANDREWS
Fran: Ward, Kresley Cole, Nalini Singh, Gena Showalter
Annie: Ward, Kresley Cole, Nalini Singh, Larissa Ione
Suz: So we all pick JRW and KC, How about Lisa Kleypas?
Annie: YES!
Fran: That would be cool
Annie: Lisa Kleypas doing a PNR. AWESOME!
Suz: I think LK would write a great PNR.
Fran: What about Jennifer Ashley?
Annie: Oh yes for sure!
Suz: So basically all our favourite authors! Lol! So what fairy tales? I think JRW would do an awesome Beauty and the Beast
Fran: Yes!
Annie: What about Cole?
Fran: What about the Little Mermaid?
Annie: That would be cool!
Suz: Or, Little Red Riding Hood, with LYKAE! *swoon*
Fran: Ione should try that one
Annie: the wargs!
Annie: For Kleypas?
Fran: Cinderella?
Annie: Yesss!
Suz: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, a bit of ménage a 8 going on! LOL!
Fran: OMG!
Annie: LOL!
Suz: Sleeping Beauty, Frost I think.
Annie: Yeah I like that! Wow we are making a new series right here!
Fran: We gotta contact the authors
Suz: and collect the profits KERCHING!
Annie: Jackpot!
Fran: SO back to Lord of Rage, anything you want to add?
Suz: Just that I liked it, it was a good quick read that I would read again
Fran: Hot hero; cute heroine and a sweet story
Annie: Can I have Osborn?
Suz: No, sorry it’s my Birthday so therefore he is mine lol!
Fran: I’ll take the two brothers in 10 years time.
Annie: LMAO!
Suz: lol stealing my idea, 2 Bersekers are better than 1!
Fran: You have Osborn
Suz: I want a matching set!
Annie: LMAO!
Fran: Lol! Sorry no can do! Take Bones out to play!
Annie: VLAD!
Suz: MENCHERES!
Annie: Oh Vlad! He makes me burn
Suz: I would see a doc Annie. Burning is NOT a good sign!
Fran: Yeah seriously Annie, get that check out! LOL!
Annie: I meant....never mind. I hate you. *glares*
I hope you enjoyed our review! It isn't edited AT ALL because of course we always have correct spelling and grammer and we NEVER go off on tangents. (*whispers* don't worry, Annie and saw a doctor and all is well! She just had hussyitus).
*eARC provided by NetGalley
Lord of Rage was a UTC group read for us so instead of writing a group review, we decided to use our IM chat as our review. Note that this is a real IM chat between us three, so we will be more candid and you can finally see how much abuse I receive from *jerks thumb at Francesca and Suzanne* these two. You have been forewarned! This is UTC, unscripted.
Annie: Okay let’s do this!
Suz: So Breena and Osborn...
Annie: What did you think of Breena?
Suz: I like her better the Jane
Annie: Me too! She’s much easier it relate to, I felt bad for her.
Suz: She also has cool powers
Annie: Actually, I didn’t feel too bad, she got a sexy berserker.
Fran: Yes her powers were cool but I really liked her personality. She was tough but still easy going.
Suz: Yeah no stupid moments, or worse maidenly ones!
Annie: What about Osborn? I loved him, I loved reading about his background
Suz: OSBORN!
Annie: Sexy sexy man!
Fran: I thought he was adorable and hot
Suz: I loved him, and he bought her present!
Annie: Definitely sexy, what was your favourite scene with him?
Fran: Hmmm, when he changed the energy at the lake.
Suz: Oh yeah! Where he goes down on her to save the day! I wish that happened in my life
Annie: LOL ME TOO! *pouts*
Fran: Me three!
Annie: So what didn’t you like about the book?
Fran: I didn’t like that there was no big battle.
Suz: It didn’t feel like it had finished, it like it had just started and then it ended!
Fran: Nothing ever really happens
Annie: I agree, I felt like it built up a lot and then…it was just okay in the end. The timeline confused me as well, it was weird especially from the first book.
Fran: Yeah the timeline throw me off.
Me: Yeah, because Nicolai isn’t saved until years later but this is set almost straight away. Apparently it is all explained though.
Fran: Another thing, there wasn’t enough sex and steam!!
Annie: The sex was good, but I want more!
Suz: HUSSIES!
Fran: lol!
Suz: Another thing I didn’t like was how easily Osborn stopped hating the Eldens after Breena just said “it isn’t us.”
Fran: Yeah that was too easy.
Annie: Oh yeah. After all that time hating Eldens, he was like *shrugs* okay cool.
Suz: LOL!
Fran: He had this hate inside for years and all it takes is one word from her and everything is okay.
Annie: Pussy whipped.
Fran: Totally!
Annie: Where’s my whip?
Fran: Breena has it!
Suz: LOL!
Fran: Okay one thing I loved.
Suz: Yes?
Fran: The Goldilocks reference
Annie: Oh yes!
Suz: Yes! That was funny I loved that
Annie: I liked the very end, that excerpt thing, it was very cute. What did you think of Jill Monroe’s writing? This is the first one of hers that I have read.
Fran: Me too, I loved it
Suz: I liked it, it was simple and to the point.
Fran: Very easy to read.
Annie: I think it was a very fast read for me, very easy to read.
Suz: It wasn’t trying to be all poetic and all that.
Annie: Exactly, enough description and it didn’t lag.
Annie: How’d you like the Berserker reference and backstory?
Suz: I liked it, I liked the idea of Berserkers
Annie: I thought it was pretty badass. I love the Berserkers.
Fran: I liked it too.
Suz: I loved it when he shagged her in his bearskin LOL!
Annie: ME TOO!
Fran: Berserkers are hot
Annie: Man I want that!
Suz: Me too, against a tree trunk yum!
Annie: yummy!
Fran: Double yum LOL!
Suz: Double yum! TWO BERSERKERS! At once!
Fran: His brothers were cute too
Suz: They were sweet, when they are older, there are your TWO BERSERKERS!
Annie: Excited about the next book?
Suz: I am
Fran: I am!!! This series is sweet light fun, entertaining
Suz: It is, I can’t wait to see what happens in the end and how they bring it all together. So the most important question! Nicolai or Osborn?
Annie: OSBORN!
Suz: haha me too!
Fran: Osborn
Annie: I want a Berserker baby!
Fran: Lol!
Suz: Lol!
Fran: This couple wins hands down
Annie: I think so, what do you think about the Elden world?
Suz: It is good but we aren’t given that much info. It is in bits and pieces. We don’t know how the world works as a whole if you know what I mean
Annie: yea it’s still up in the air after 2 books.
Fran: Yeah I agree.
Annie: Okay cool question. If you could write a series like this with 4 authors, who would you pick?
Suz: Good question! JR Ward, Kresly Cole, Christine Warren, or maybe Jeaniene Frost and ILONA ANDREWS
Fran: Ward, Kresley Cole, Nalini Singh, Gena Showalter
Annie: Ward, Kresley Cole, Nalini Singh, Larissa Ione
Suz: So we all pick JRW and KC, How about Lisa Kleypas?
Annie: YES!
Fran: That would be cool
Annie: Lisa Kleypas doing a PNR. AWESOME!
Suz: I think LK would write a great PNR.
Fran: What about Jennifer Ashley?
Annie: Oh yes for sure!
Suz: So basically all our favourite authors! Lol! So what fairy tales? I think JRW would do an awesome Beauty and the Beast
Fran: Yes!
Annie: What about Cole?
Fran: What about the Little Mermaid?
Annie: That would be cool!
Suz: Or, Little Red Riding Hood, with LYKAE! *swoon*
Fran: Ione should try that one
Annie: the wargs!
Annie: For Kleypas?
Fran: Cinderella?
Annie: Yesss!
Suz: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, a bit of ménage a 8 going on! LOL!
Fran: OMG!
Annie: LOL!
Suz: Sleeping Beauty, Frost I think.
Annie: Yeah I like that! Wow we are making a new series right here!
Fran: We gotta contact the authors
Suz: and collect the profits KERCHING!
Annie: Jackpot!
Fran: SO back to Lord of Rage, anything you want to add?
Suz: Just that I liked it, it was a good quick read that I would read again
Fran: Hot hero; cute heroine and a sweet story
Annie: Can I have Osborn?
Suz: No, sorry it’s my Birthday so therefore he is mine lol!
Fran: I’ll take the two brothers in 10 years time.
Annie: LMAO!
Suz: lol stealing my idea, 2 Bersekers are better than 1!
Fran: You have Osborn
Suz: I want a matching set!
Annie: LMAO!
Fran: Lol! Sorry no can do! Take Bones out to play!
Annie: VLAD!
Suz: MENCHERES!
Annie: Oh Vlad! He makes me burn
Suz: I would see a doc Annie. Burning is NOT a good sign!
Fran: Yeah seriously Annie, get that check out! LOL!
Annie: I meant....never mind. I hate you. *glares*
I hope you enjoyed our review! It isn't edited AT ALL because of course we always have correct spelling and grammer and we NEVER go off on tangents. (*whispers* don't worry, Annie and saw a doctor and all is well! She just had hussyitus).
*eARC provided by NetGalley
August 22, 2011
Posted on Under the Covers
Lord of Rage
(Royal House of Shadows # 2)
by Jill Monroe
Paranormal Romance
Lord of Rage was a UTC group read for us so instead of writing a group review, we decided to use our IM chat as our review. Note that this is a real IM chat between us three, so we will be more candid and you can finally see how much abuse I receive from *jerks thumb at Francesca and Suzanne* these two. You have been forewarned! This is UTC, unscripted.
Annie: Okay let’s do this!
Suz: So Breena and Osborn...
Annie: What did you think of Breena?
Suz: I like her better the Jane
Annie: Me too! She’s much easier it relate to, I felt bad for her.
Suz: She also has cool powers
Annie: Actually, I didn’t feel too bad, she got a sexy berserker.
Fran: Yes her powers were cool but I really liked her personality. She was tough but still easy going.
Suz: Yeah no stupid moments, or worse maidenly ones!
Annie: What about Osborn? I loved him, I loved reading about his background
Suz: OSBORN!
Annie: Sexy sexy man!
Fran: I thought he was adorable and hot
Suz: I loved him, and he bought her present!
Annie: Definitely sexy, what was your favourite scene with him?
Fran: Hmmm, when he changed the energy at the lake.
Suz: Oh yeah! Where he goes down on her to save the day! I wish that happened in my life
Annie: LOL ME TOO! *pouts*
Fran: Me three!
Annie: So what didn’t you like about the book?
Fran: I didn’t like that there was no big battle.
Suz: It didn’t feel like it had finished, it like it had just started and then it ended!
Fran: Nothing ever really happens
Annie: I agree, I felt like it built up a lot and then…it was just okay in the end. The timeline confused me as well, it was weird especially from the first book.
Fran: Yeah the timeline throw me off.
Me: Yeah, because Nicolai isn’t saved until years later but this is set almost straight away. Apparently it is all explained though.
Fran: Another thing, there wasn’t enough sex and steam!!
Annie: The sex was good, but I want more!
Suz: HUSSIES!
Fran: lol!
Suz: Another thing I didn’t like was how easily Osborn stopped hating the Eldens after Breena just said “it isn’t us.”
Fran: Yeah that was too easy.
Annie: Oh yeah. After all that time hating Eldens, he was like *shrugs* okay cool.
Suz: LOL!
Fran: He had this hate inside for years and all it takes is one word from her and everything is okay.
Annie: Pussy whipped.
Fran: Totally!
Annie: Where’s my whip?
Fran: Breena has it!
Suz: LOL!
Fran: Okay one thing I loved.
Suz: Yes?
Fran: The Goldilocks reference
Annie: Oh yes!
Suz: Yes! That was funny I loved that
Annie: I liked the very end, that excerpt thing, it was very cute. What did you think of Jill Monroe’s writing? This is the first one of hers that I have read.
Fran: Me too, I loved it
Suz: I liked it, it was simple and to the point.
Fran: Very easy to read.
Annie: I think it was a very fast read for me, very easy to read.
Suz: It wasn’t trying to be all poetic and all that.
Annie: Exactly, enough description and it didn’t lag.
Annie: How’d you like the Berserker reference and backstory?
Suz: I liked it, I liked the idea of Berserkers
Annie: I thought it was pretty badass. I love the Berserkers.
Fran: I liked it too.
Suz: I loved it when he shagged her in his bearskin LOL!
Annie: ME TOO!
Fran: Berserkers are hot
Annie: Man I want that!
Suz: Me too, against a tree trunk yum!
Annie: yummy!
Fran: Double yum LOL!
Suz: Double yum! TWO BERSERKERS! At once!
Fran: His brothers were cute too
Suz: They were sweet, when they are older, there are your TWO BERSERKERS!
Annie: Excited about the next book?
Suz: I am
Fran: I am!!! This series is sweet light fun, entertaining
Suz: It is, I can’t wait to see what happens in the end and how they bring it all together. So the most important question! Nicolai or Osborn?
Annie: OSBORN!
Suz: haha me too!
Fran: Osborn
Annie: I want a Berserker baby!
Fran: Lol!
Suz: Lol!
Fran: This couple wins hands down
Annie: I think so, what do you think about the Elden world?
Suz: It is good but we aren’t given that much info. It is in bits and pieces. We don’t know how the world works as a whole if you know what I mean
Annie: yea it’s still up in the air after 2 books.
Fran: Yeah I agree.
Annie: Okay cool question. If you could write a series like this with 4 authors, who would you pick?
Suz: Good question! JR Ward, Kresly Cole, Christine Warren, or maybe Jeaniene Frost and ILONA ANDREWS
Fran: Ward, Kresley Cole, Nalini Singh, Gena Showalter
Annie: Ward, Kresley Cole, Nalini Singh, Larissa Ione
Suz: So we all pick JRW and KC, How about Lisa Kleypas?
Annie: YES!
Fran: That would be cool
Annie: Lisa Kleypas doing a PNR. AWESOME!
Suz: I think LK would write a great PNR.
Fran: What about Jennifer Ashley?
Annie: Oh yes for sure!
Suz: So basically all our favourite authors! Lol! So what fairy tales? I think JRW would do an awesome Beauty and the Beast
Fran: Yes!
Annie: What about Cole?
Fran: What about the Little Mermaid?
Annie: That would be cool!
Suz: Or, Little Red Riding Hood, with LYKAE! *swoon*
Fran: Ione should try that one
Annie: the wargs!
Annie: For Kleypas?
Fran: Cinderella?
Annie: Yesss!
Suz: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, a bit of ménage a 8 going on! LOL!
Fran: OMG!
Annie: LOL!
Suz: Sleeping Beauty, Frost I think.
Annie: Yeah I like that! Wow we are making a new series right here!
Fran: We gotta contact the authors
Suz: and collect the profits KERCHING!
Annie: Jackpot!
Fran: SO back to Lord of Rage, anything you want to add?
Suz: Just that I liked it, it was a good quick read that I would read again
Fran: Hot hero; cute heroine and a sweet story
Annie: Can I have Osborn?
Suz: No, sorry it’s my Birthday so therefore he is mine lol!
Fran: I’ll take the two brothers in 10 years time.
Annie: LMAO!
Suz: lol stealing my idea, 2 Bersekers are better than 1!
Fran: You have Osborn
Suz: I want a matching set!
Annie: LMAO!
Fran: Lol! Sorry no can do! Take Bones out to play!
Annie: VLAD!
Suz: MENCHERES!
Annie: Oh Vlad! He makes me burn
Suz: I would see a doc Annie. Burning is NOT a good sign!
Fran: Yeah seriously Annie, get that check out! LOL!
Annie: I meant....never mind. I hate you. *glares*
I hope you enjoyed our review! It isn't edited AT ALL because of course we always have correct spelling and grammer and we NEVER go off on tangents. (*whispers* don't worry, Annie and saw a doctor and all is well! She just had hussyitus).
*eARC provided by NetGalley
Lord of Rage
(Royal House of Shadows # 2)
by Jill Monroe
Paranormal Romance
Lord of Rage was a UTC group read for us so instead of writing a group review, we decided to use our IM chat as our review. Note that this is a real IM chat between us three, so we will be more candid and you can finally see how much abuse I receive from *jerks thumb at Francesca and Suzanne* these two. You have been forewarned! This is UTC, unscripted.
Annie: Okay let’s do this!
Suz: So Breena and Osborn...
Annie: What did you think of Breena?
Suz: I like her better the Jane
Annie: Me too! She’s much easier it relate to, I felt bad for her.
Suz: She also has cool powers
Annie: Actually, I didn’t feel too bad, she got a sexy berserker.
Fran: Yes her powers were cool but I really liked her personality. She was tough but still easy going.
Suz: Yeah no stupid moments, or worse maidenly ones!
Annie: What about Osborn? I loved him, I loved reading about his background
Suz: OSBORN!
Annie: Sexy sexy man!
Fran: I thought he was adorable and hot
Suz: I loved him, and he bought her present!
Annie: Definitely sexy, what was your favourite scene with him?
Fran: Hmmm, when he changed the energy at the lake.
Suz: Oh yeah! Where he goes down on her to save the day! I wish that happened in my life
Annie: LOL ME TOO! *pouts*
Fran: Me three!
Annie: So what didn’t you like about the book?
Fran: I didn’t like that there was no big battle.
Suz: It didn’t feel like it had finished, it like it had just started and then it ended!
Fran: Nothing ever really happens
Annie: I agree, I felt like it built up a lot and then…it was just okay in the end. The timeline confused me as well, it was weird especially from the first book.
Fran: Yeah the timeline throw me off.
Me: Yeah, because Nicolai isn’t saved until years later but this is set almost straight away. Apparently it is all explained though.
Fran: Another thing, there wasn’t enough sex and steam!!
Annie: The sex was good, but I want more!
Suz: HUSSIES!
Fran: lol!
Suz: Another thing I didn’t like was how easily Osborn stopped hating the Eldens after Breena just said “it isn’t us.”
Fran: Yeah that was too easy.
Annie: Oh yeah. After all that time hating Eldens, he was like *shrugs* okay cool.
Suz: LOL!
Fran: He had this hate inside for years and all it takes is one word from her and everything is okay.
Annie: Pussy whipped.
Fran: Totally!
Annie: Where’s my whip?
Fran: Breena has it!
Suz: LOL!
Fran: Okay one thing I loved.
Suz: Yes?
Fran: The Goldilocks reference
Annie: Oh yes!
Suz: Yes! That was funny I loved that
Annie: I liked the very end, that excerpt thing, it was very cute. What did you think of Jill Monroe’s writing? This is the first one of hers that I have read.
Fran: Me too, I loved it
Suz: I liked it, it was simple and to the point.
Fran: Very easy to read.
Annie: I think it was a very fast read for me, very easy to read.
Suz: It wasn’t trying to be all poetic and all that.
Annie: Exactly, enough description and it didn’t lag.
Annie: How’d you like the Berserker reference and backstory?
Suz: I liked it, I liked the idea of Berserkers
Annie: I thought it was pretty badass. I love the Berserkers.
Fran: I liked it too.
Suz: I loved it when he shagged her in his bearskin LOL!
Annie: ME TOO!
Fran: Berserkers are hot
Annie: Man I want that!
Suz: Me too, against a tree trunk yum!
Annie: yummy!
Fran: Double yum LOL!
Suz: Double yum! TWO BERSERKERS! At once!
Fran: His brothers were cute too
Suz: They were sweet, when they are older, there are your TWO BERSERKERS!
Annie: Excited about the next book?
Suz: I am
Fran: I am!!! This series is sweet light fun, entertaining
Suz: It is, I can’t wait to see what happens in the end and how they bring it all together. So the most important question! Nicolai or Osborn?
Annie: OSBORN!
Suz: haha me too!
Fran: Osborn
Annie: I want a Berserker baby!
Fran: Lol!
Suz: Lol!
Fran: This couple wins hands down
Annie: I think so, what do you think about the Elden world?
Suz: It is good but we aren’t given that much info. It is in bits and pieces. We don’t know how the world works as a whole if you know what I mean
Annie: yea it’s still up in the air after 2 books.
Fran: Yeah I agree.
Annie: Okay cool question. If you could write a series like this with 4 authors, who would you pick?
Suz: Good question! JR Ward, Kresly Cole, Christine Warren, or maybe Jeaniene Frost and ILONA ANDREWS
Fran: Ward, Kresley Cole, Nalini Singh, Gena Showalter
Annie: Ward, Kresley Cole, Nalini Singh, Larissa Ione
Suz: So we all pick JRW and KC, How about Lisa Kleypas?
Annie: YES!
Fran: That would be cool
Annie: Lisa Kleypas doing a PNR. AWESOME!
Suz: I think LK would write a great PNR.
Fran: What about Jennifer Ashley?
Annie: Oh yes for sure!
Suz: So basically all our favourite authors! Lol! So what fairy tales? I think JRW would do an awesome Beauty and the Beast
Fran: Yes!
Annie: What about Cole?
Fran: What about the Little Mermaid?
Annie: That would be cool!
Suz: Or, Little Red Riding Hood, with LYKAE! *swoon*
Fran: Ione should try that one
Annie: the wargs!
Annie: For Kleypas?
Fran: Cinderella?
Annie: Yesss!
Suz: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, a bit of ménage a 8 going on! LOL!
Fran: OMG!
Annie: LOL!
Suz: Sleeping Beauty, Frost I think.
Annie: Yeah I like that! Wow we are making a new series right here!
Fran: We gotta contact the authors
Suz: and collect the profits KERCHING!
Annie: Jackpot!
Fran: SO back to Lord of Rage, anything you want to add?
Suz: Just that I liked it, it was a good quick read that I would read again
Fran: Hot hero; cute heroine and a sweet story
Annie: Can I have Osborn?
Suz: No, sorry it’s my Birthday so therefore he is mine lol!
Fran: I’ll take the two brothers in 10 years time.
Annie: LMAO!
Suz: lol stealing my idea, 2 Bersekers are better than 1!
Fran: You have Osborn
Suz: I want a matching set!
Annie: LMAO!
Fran: Lol! Sorry no can do! Take Bones out to play!
Annie: VLAD!
Suz: MENCHERES!
Annie: Oh Vlad! He makes me burn
Suz: I would see a doc Annie. Burning is NOT a good sign!
Fran: Yeah seriously Annie, get that check out! LOL!
Annie: I meant....never mind. I hate you. *glares*
I hope you enjoyed our review! It isn't edited AT ALL because of course we always have correct spelling and grammer and we NEVER go off on tangents. (*whispers* don't worry, Annie and saw a doctor and all is well! She just had hussyitus).
*eARC provided by NetGalley
August 20, 2011
Notes: I read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book. It does contain violence.
"Once upon a time, in a land unseen by human eye, there was a beautiful princess..."
Princess Breena lived a fairytale life until the day her kingdom was seized and her parents killed. She and her siblings were scattered throughout the Kingdom thanks to a spell cast by their mother before she died. Alone and confused by what had happened, she found herself wandering about in a forest. When she came across a cottage, she sought it's warmth and comfort. She had no idea's whose home it was. She just hoped as she drifted off to sleep that they wouldn't mind her presence.
When Osborn and his two brothers arrived home, they were surprised to find that someone had broken into their home. The last thing that Osborn expected to find was someone sleeping in his bed. When he realized that it was the woman who had been invading his dreams at night, he thought maybe he'd walked into his own fantasy.
This is the second book in the Royal House of Shadows tetralogy. In the last book, we learned the fate of Price Nicolai. In this book, we learn the fate of Princess Breena. For years she's invaded the dreams of a man she called her Warrior. She never expected to meet him. She always thought, "If the man barged out of her dreams, through her door and stalked across her chamber, she'd be frightened. He was little more than a savage. Fierce and primal."
This was a most enjoyable read by Ms. Monroe. I thought it a brilliant and creative rendition of Goldilocks and the three bears. One thing is for sure, if I broke into a house these are definitely the type of "bears" I'd want to wake up to. lol Osborn is a wonderful combination of strength, power, and utter maleness. As the story progresses Breena's powers increase, and so does her relationship with Osborn. Osborn's inner struggle to deny his feelings for Breena is fun to watch. On the Lisarenee's Romance Rating Scale this one gets a Steam rating - too hot for a fan, but I still got a handle on things. Very hot and steamy and just shy of needing a cold shower or your significant other to be handy. May want to refrain from reading this one in public. People might wonder why you're smiling and a little flushed.
I loved the fantastical tale Monroe came up with to explain how Berserkers came to be. It added an extra layer to the story. It's stories like these that make my green-eyed monster (jealousy) rear it's head, and then just as quickly disappear as I can't imagine the author enjoying writing the tale as much as I do reading it. Almost makes me feel guilty the author can't experience the book the way we readers can. I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses.
Other Notes: Berserkers were warriors from Old Norse literature who fought in an almost uncontrollable, trance-like fury. The term beserk, as in 'going beserk', is thought to have originated from the condition of these fierce warriors. To learn more about Beserkers check out this like to Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserker
Order tetralogy should be read:
1) Lord of the Vampires
2) Lord of Rage
3) Lord of the Wolfyn
4) Lord of the Abyss
If you'd like to read more of my reviews check out my blog at www.seducedbyabook.com
"Once upon a time, in a land unseen by human eye, there was a beautiful princess..."
Princess Breena lived a fairytale life until the day her kingdom was seized and her parents killed. She and her siblings were scattered throughout the Kingdom thanks to a spell cast by their mother before she died. Alone and confused by what had happened, she found herself wandering about in a forest. When she came across a cottage, she sought it's warmth and comfort. She had no idea's whose home it was. She just hoped as she drifted off to sleep that they wouldn't mind her presence.
When Osborn and his two brothers arrived home, they were surprised to find that someone had broken into their home. The last thing that Osborn expected to find was someone sleeping in his bed. When he realized that it was the woman who had been invading his dreams at night, he thought maybe he'd walked into his own fantasy.
This is the second book in the Royal House of Shadows tetralogy. In the last book, we learned the fate of Price Nicolai. In this book, we learn the fate of Princess Breena. For years she's invaded the dreams of a man she called her Warrior. She never expected to meet him. She always thought, "If the man barged out of her dreams, through her door and stalked across her chamber, she'd be frightened. He was little more than a savage. Fierce and primal."
This was a most enjoyable read by Ms. Monroe. I thought it a brilliant and creative rendition of Goldilocks and the three bears. One thing is for sure, if I broke into a house these are definitely the type of "bears" I'd want to wake up to. lol Osborn is a wonderful combination of strength, power, and utter maleness. As the story progresses Breena's powers increase, and so does her relationship with Osborn. Osborn's inner struggle to deny his feelings for Breena is fun to watch. On the Lisarenee's Romance Rating Scale this one gets a Steam rating - too hot for a fan, but I still got a handle on things. Very hot and steamy and just shy of needing a cold shower or your significant other to be handy. May want to refrain from reading this one in public. People might wonder why you're smiling and a little flushed.
I loved the fantastical tale Monroe came up with to explain how Berserkers came to be. It added an extra layer to the story. It's stories like these that make my green-eyed monster (jealousy) rear it's head, and then just as quickly disappear as I can't imagine the author enjoying writing the tale as much as I do reading it. Almost makes me feel guilty the author can't experience the book the way we readers can. I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses.
Other Notes: Berserkers were warriors from Old Norse literature who fought in an almost uncontrollable, trance-like fury. The term beserk, as in 'going beserk', is thought to have originated from the condition of these fierce warriors. To learn more about Beserkers check out this like to Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserker
Order tetralogy should be read:
1) Lord of the Vampires
2) Lord of Rage
3) Lord of the Wolfyn
4) Lord of the Abyss
If you'd like to read more of my reviews check out my blog at www.seducedbyabook.com
April 30, 2012
Review
I have read several Jill Monroe Blaze books over the past few years and they have all been good. My thoughts had been that she could have added some more steam, some more passion, just some thing more…Well, nothing was missing from this book. I loved it, loved it, loved it! Every woman should get herself a berserker. Mine, mine, mine…love it when they get possessive!
Ms Monroe’s story picked up right after the King and Queen of Elden had been killed. Breena, on the run for her life, having no idea where her brothers were, opened her heart to the one man that might be able to save her: Her dream lover, My Warrior (said with whispery breath). While her days at the castle were spent in chase idleness and solitude, her nights were filled with unadulterated, needy, explosive passion.
Osborn is fantastic; He is raw and rough with a heart of a bear, the body of giant, and the soul of a fallen angel. As the last of his kind, Osborn has done everything, including sell his honor, to protect and defend his two brothers. Now, after sinking to his lowest, Osborn has sought refuge in his homelands, retreating from life. He solitude brought him no joy, but to see Breena make him laugh again…broke my heart! And, as he comes to learn, even though you don’t go looking for the fight…it finds you.
I am excited to see where the series goes from here. I believe that Nicolai will ultimately become the King of Elden, but now we see how Breena and her berserker may assist in the ousting of the Blood Sorcerer. Enjoy!
I have read several Jill Monroe Blaze books over the past few years and they have all been good. My thoughts had been that she could have added some more steam, some more passion, just some thing more…Well, nothing was missing from this book. I loved it, loved it, loved it! Every woman should get herself a berserker. Mine, mine, mine…love it when they get possessive!
Ms Monroe’s story picked up right after the King and Queen of Elden had been killed. Breena, on the run for her life, having no idea where her brothers were, opened her heart to the one man that might be able to save her: Her dream lover, My Warrior (said with whispery breath). While her days at the castle were spent in chase idleness and solitude, her nights were filled with unadulterated, needy, explosive passion.
Osborn is fantastic; He is raw and rough with a heart of a bear, the body of giant, and the soul of a fallen angel. As the last of his kind, Osborn has done everything, including sell his honor, to protect and defend his two brothers. Now, after sinking to his lowest, Osborn has sought refuge in his homelands, retreating from life. He solitude brought him no joy, but to see Breena make him laugh again…broke my heart! And, as he comes to learn, even though you don’t go looking for the fight…it finds you.
I am excited to see where the series goes from here. I believe that Nicolai will ultimately become the King of Elden, but now we see how Breena and her berserker may assist in the ousting of the Blood Sorcerer. Enjoy!
February 11, 2015
Paranormal romance with sex. This is the 2nd book in the 4 part series. This book is based on the "Three Bears".
There are 2 books in one, the second is a previously released book from JM.
Lord of Rage - 5 stars! I really enjoyed this one. More than the 1st book. Breena is a princess & although she's got a small talent for witchcraft, she's more talented at dancing. She can also insert herself in dreams & there's a man whose face is obscured who draws her. The Blood King has killed her parents & she finds herself in the land of the Berserkers (bear men). There's only 3 left - Osborn & his teenage brothers. Osborn it turns out is her mystery man. He takes some convincing to be persuaded to help her.
Both Breena & Osborn are great. I really liked how their relationship grows. The only strange thing is the timeline. In the 1st book 2o years supposedly go by between the present & the King & Queen's deaths. In this book it's more like a matter of a few months. My logical side is scratching my head.
Primal Instincts - 4 stars. This story is copyrighted 2008. The main story is Ian & Ava. Ian is a reporter who likes the dangerous assignments. He's talked into fixing Ava's book by his boss ( Also his sister). Ava is smart, but can't write well. Her field is anthropology, specifically different cultures sexual rituals. It's a lot of fun following Ian & Ava's progress into a relationship.
There's a secondary story about Ian's sister, Miriam & a hot younger man she meets in Oklahoma. This story line isn't as fleshed out as the main story. All in all a good addition.
There are 2 books in one, the second is a previously released book from JM.
Lord of Rage - 5 stars! I really enjoyed this one. More than the 1st book. Breena is a princess & although she's got a small talent for witchcraft, she's more talented at dancing. She can also insert herself in dreams & there's a man whose face is obscured who draws her. The Blood King has killed her parents & she finds herself in the land of the Berserkers (bear men). There's only 3 left - Osborn & his teenage brothers. Osborn it turns out is her mystery man. He takes some convincing to be persuaded to help her.
Both Breena & Osborn are great. I really liked how their relationship grows. The only strange thing is the timeline. In the 1st book 2o years supposedly go by between the present & the King & Queen's deaths. In this book it's more like a matter of a few months. My logical side is scratching my head.
Primal Instincts - 4 stars. This story is copyrighted 2008. The main story is Ian & Ava. Ian is a reporter who likes the dangerous assignments. He's talked into fixing Ava's book by his boss ( Also his sister). Ava is smart, but can't write well. Her field is anthropology, specifically different cultures sexual rituals. It's a lot of fun following Ian & Ava's progress into a relationship.
There's a secondary story about Ian's sister, Miriam & a hot younger man she meets in Oklahoma. This story line isn't as fleshed out as the main story. All in all a good addition.
March 24, 2016
Both the main characters of this book annoyed me. Breena was a selfish brat. All her interactions with Osborn are all about her, her, her, and what he can do for her. She only thinks of others in relation to how they can help her. Osborn, he's living out in the woods with his two younger brothers and trying to stay alive. He was a bipolar bastard, who only wanted Breena for her womanly orifices (he tells her this). He kept changing his mind about her every other page; vastly annoying. The best part about the book was Osborn's two brothers - Bernt and Toben. Otherwise, meh.
November 23, 2019
DNF'd at 38%.
Everything about this book is an immediate hard no.
Lord of the Abyss mostly worked because I liked Nalini Singh's writing and I've read enough of her to know how she tends to write her heroes. I couldn't get into Lord of the Vampires; both characters were immediately falling into "why should I care" territory. And I just couldn't believe that Nicolai was filled with revenge and didn't have any negative impacts of being a sex slave.
This book was a mess from the word go. I was already sort of annoyed before I ever started--the children of the King of Elden are the main characters, yet this book is not named after Breena. Not that Breena is an amazing character. But I wasn't as annoyed with her as I was with Osborn. First off, making your hero a cold-blooded killer, even in a story as fucked up as this one, isn't my cup of tea. He's filled with vengeance. (Side note: Ursa is described as a kingdom; were all his people in that one place when the vampires attacked?) The moment he sees her, he's going mine, mine, mine but then he kicks her out, then they get attacked, then he tries to kill her, then he gets aroused while she's struggling to get away... And then the author tries to make me feel sorry for him by telling us he did everything to protect his brothers, which apparently involved murdering a bunch of people for money. On its own I could forgive that, but they really lost me at "gets aroused while his hands are around her throat and she's struggling to get away."
Everything about this book is an immediate hard no.
Lord of the Abyss mostly worked because I liked Nalini Singh's writing and I've read enough of her to know how she tends to write her heroes. I couldn't get into Lord of the Vampires; both characters were immediately falling into "why should I care" territory. And I just couldn't believe that Nicolai was filled with revenge and didn't have any negative impacts of being a sex slave.
This book was a mess from the word go. I was already sort of annoyed before I ever started--the children of the King of Elden are the main characters, yet this book is not named after Breena. Not that Breena is an amazing character. But I wasn't as annoyed with her as I was with Osborn. First off, making your hero a cold-blooded killer, even in a story as fucked up as this one, isn't my cup of tea. He's filled with vengeance. (Side note: Ursa is described as a kingdom; were all his people in that one place when the vampires attacked?) The moment he sees her, he's going mine, mine, mine but then he kicks her out, then they get attacked, then he tries to kill her, then he gets aroused while she's struggling to get away... And then the author tries to make me feel sorry for him by telling us he did everything to protect his brothers, which apparently involved murdering a bunch of people for money. On its own I could forgive that, but they really lost me at "gets aroused while his hands are around her throat and she's struggling to get away."
April 8, 2020
Viel schlechter als der 1. Teil finde ich. Der Schreibstil der Autorin lag mir leider so ganz und gar nicht. Es klang alles so übertrieben kitschig und Märchenhaft. Dann die Szene bei Osborn zuhause als seine Brüder sie finden klang wie bei Schneewittchen nach dem Motto „Wer hat von meinem Teller gegessen…“ Fand ich einfach nur extrem nervig und konnte mich wirklich leider in keinster Weise in den Bann ziehen.
Kein Pepp drin, nichts. Eigentlich würde ich jetzt nicht weiterlesen, aber da ich wirklcih sehr interesseiert an dem 4. Teil bin, werde ich dem 3. Auch eine chance geben, in der Hoffnung das er viel besser ist als dieser hier.
Kein Pepp drin, nichts. Eigentlich würde ich jetzt nicht weiterlesen, aber da ich wirklcih sehr interesseiert an dem 4. Teil bin, werde ich dem 3. Auch eine chance geben, in der Hoffnung das er viel besser ist als dieser hier.
November 27, 2025
Eeeee la mia voglia di leggere la serie è già calata.
Troppe informazioni discordanti, incoerenza di azioni e anche di parole. Anche le scene d’azione qui sono state molto diverse e meno entusiasmanti.
Capisco la difficoltà del dover condividere una serie tra quattro autrici, ma almeno mettersi d’accordo sulle cose importanti, come quanto tempo far passare dall’uccisione dei genitori al ritrovamento dei fratelli.
Troppe informazioni discordanti, incoerenza di azioni e anche di parole. Anche le scene d’azione qui sono state molto diverse e meno entusiasmanti.
Capisco la difficoltà del dover condividere una serie tra quattro autrici, ma almeno mettersi d’accordo sulle cose importanti, come quanto tempo far passare dall’uccisione dei genitori al ritrovamento dei fratelli.
October 20, 2011
3.5
The Royal House of Shadows continues with this second installment from author Jill Monroe. The series is a collaboration by four authors with one continuing story arc following the four royal heirs of Elden in a world of magic parallel to ours. When the evil Blood Sorcerer attacks the kingdom of Elden and kills the king and queen, they cast one last spell sending each of their children away from the castle and instilling in them the need of survival and vengeance. Each novel follows one of those royal heirs; in the first one we met the crown prince Nicolai, now we are introduced to the princess Breena.
After witnessing the death of her parents and her home overrun by vile creatures Breena is cast out from it and into a forest. Missing pieces if her memory, all Breena knows is that she must survive and then seek vengeance for the murder of her parents. Bruised, cold and hunger, Breena comes upon a cottage in a clearing where she finds a hot meal, unsteady furniture and a nice big bed to rest in. Unknown to Breena though, the cottage’s owner is the man from her dreams and a fierce Berserker warrior, one of the last of his kind.
Osborn is a warrior with the spirit of a bear in him. Living on sacred land and protecting the last two people in his family he has been biding his time for his vengeance against the people that decimated his clan. Finding the women from Osborn’s dreams sleeping in his bed he feels the first bit of happiness in a long time, but when she wakes expecting him to be her warrior and protect her while rescuing her brothers and taking back her castle, Osborn knows that she must leave for he set down his sword long ago. Stubbornly Breena sticks around though and the more time Osborn spends with her, the less he wants her to leave. But when he finds out that Breena is from the land that attacked and murdered his family, can Osborn set aside his vengeance for love?
Lord of Rage was a great addition to the Royal House of Shadows series and flowed exceedingly well. I haven’t read anything from Jill Monroe until now and I really enjoyed her writing style. The characters of Breena and Osborn were captivating and Osborn’s two younger brothers added a bit of humor and fun into the storyline.
The story is loosely based on the fairy tale of Goldilocks and the three bears, which was easy to pick up on and added a nice element to the story to look for. The world itself was pretty well built up from the first novel by Gena Showalter, Lord of the Vampires, so it was comfortable delving into it again and didn’t raise the questions the first novel did while reading. I really liked the relationship between Breena and Osborn, and each character individually.
Breena started as a pampered princess who never left the castle walls but when she is thrust, alone, into the wilderness instead of breaking down she fights through it hunting for food and seeking shelter. When she meets the bear of a warrior, Osborn, she doesn’t let him intimidate her and actually persuades him to teach her fighting skills of her own so that she can protect herself better in the future. She is willing to learn and improve herself to protect the ones she loves. I really respected her tenacity and strength.
Osborn was a man in a rut, stuck in the past but unwilling to face it. Living day to day, staying to his lands and protecting his brothers from harm. But when he realizes (with a little help from Breena) that his brothers have suffered because of this and know nothing of their family’s history, Osborn steps up and takes care of things. Same when it comes to Breena; Osborn starts off kind of gruff but it’s because he feels that he is unworthy of her and also doesn’t want to bring danger to his brothers, they have lived through enough.
They’re relationship is a slow build, definitely not as sexual as Lord of the Vampires, but more meaningful because they took time to get to know each other and each other’s pasts before jumping in the sack. Yes, there was an intense attraction and mucho sexual tension but they didn’t give into it until it meant more than just lust.
That being said, the book itself was somewhat blah. I’m not sure if that was because it lacked a lot of action or because it moved at a slower pace. My biggest peeve was the time line though, it really confused me in respect to the first novel in this series, Lord of the Vampires, and throughout the entire book I kept trying to put together the time in correspondence to the first novel. I think the sequence in which the books were released should have been changed but maybe by book #3 it will make sense. =) I’m looking forward to the next two novels in the series and think that paranormal romance fans would enjoy this one, even if they didn't care for the first novel.
The Royal House of Shadows continues with this second installment from author Jill Monroe. The series is a collaboration by four authors with one continuing story arc following the four royal heirs of Elden in a world of magic parallel to ours. When the evil Blood Sorcerer attacks the kingdom of Elden and kills the king and queen, they cast one last spell sending each of their children away from the castle and instilling in them the need of survival and vengeance. Each novel follows one of those royal heirs; in the first one we met the crown prince Nicolai, now we are introduced to the princess Breena.
After witnessing the death of her parents and her home overrun by vile creatures Breena is cast out from it and into a forest. Missing pieces if her memory, all Breena knows is that she must survive and then seek vengeance for the murder of her parents. Bruised, cold and hunger, Breena comes upon a cottage in a clearing where she finds a hot meal, unsteady furniture and a nice big bed to rest in. Unknown to Breena though, the cottage’s owner is the man from her dreams and a fierce Berserker warrior, one of the last of his kind.
Osborn is a warrior with the spirit of a bear in him. Living on sacred land and protecting the last two people in his family he has been biding his time for his vengeance against the people that decimated his clan. Finding the women from Osborn’s dreams sleeping in his bed he feels the first bit of happiness in a long time, but when she wakes expecting him to be her warrior and protect her while rescuing her brothers and taking back her castle, Osborn knows that she must leave for he set down his sword long ago. Stubbornly Breena sticks around though and the more time Osborn spends with her, the less he wants her to leave. But when he finds out that Breena is from the land that attacked and murdered his family, can Osborn set aside his vengeance for love?
Lord of Rage was a great addition to the Royal House of Shadows series and flowed exceedingly well. I haven’t read anything from Jill Monroe until now and I really enjoyed her writing style. The characters of Breena and Osborn were captivating and Osborn’s two younger brothers added a bit of humor and fun into the storyline.
The story is loosely based on the fairy tale of Goldilocks and the three bears, which was easy to pick up on and added a nice element to the story to look for. The world itself was pretty well built up from the first novel by Gena Showalter, Lord of the Vampires, so it was comfortable delving into it again and didn’t raise the questions the first novel did while reading. I really liked the relationship between Breena and Osborn, and each character individually.
Breena started as a pampered princess who never left the castle walls but when she is thrust, alone, into the wilderness instead of breaking down she fights through it hunting for food and seeking shelter. When she meets the bear of a warrior, Osborn, she doesn’t let him intimidate her and actually persuades him to teach her fighting skills of her own so that she can protect herself better in the future. She is willing to learn and improve herself to protect the ones she loves. I really respected her tenacity and strength.
Osborn was a man in a rut, stuck in the past but unwilling to face it. Living day to day, staying to his lands and protecting his brothers from harm. But when he realizes (with a little help from Breena) that his brothers have suffered because of this and know nothing of their family’s history, Osborn steps up and takes care of things. Same when it comes to Breena; Osborn starts off kind of gruff but it’s because he feels that he is unworthy of her and also doesn’t want to bring danger to his brothers, they have lived through enough.
They’re relationship is a slow build, definitely not as sexual as Lord of the Vampires, but more meaningful because they took time to get to know each other and each other’s pasts before jumping in the sack. Yes, there was an intense attraction and mucho sexual tension but they didn’t give into it until it meant more than just lust.
That being said, the book itself was somewhat blah. I’m not sure if that was because it lacked a lot of action or because it moved at a slower pace. My biggest peeve was the time line though, it really confused me in respect to the first novel in this series, Lord of the Vampires, and throughout the entire book I kept trying to put together the time in correspondence to the first novel. I think the sequence in which the books were released should have been changed but maybe by book #3 it will make sense. =) I’m looking forward to the next two novels in the series and think that paranormal romance fans would enjoy this one, even if they didn't care for the first novel.
May 11, 2012
I was really curious about the Royal House of Shadows series, 4 books written by 4 different authors and all based on a different fairytale - whats not to like about that? Especially when one of the authors is Nalini Singh and another is Gena Showalter - both authors who have written books I have enjoyed in the past. I hadn't read anything by Jill Monroe or Jessica Anderson before so I thought this would be a great way to try their work too. Lord of Rage is the second book and Jill Monroe's contribution to the series.
Lord of Rage is based on the tale of Goldilocks and is the tale of Nicolai's younger sister Breena. Raised as a princess Breena always knew it would be her duty to marry a man chosen by her father to make an alliance between kingdoms. Everything changes when Elden comes under attack and her parents are killed by the blood sorcerer. On their death beds the king and queen used the last of their magic to send their 4 children to safety. Breena finds herself alone in the forest - lost, terrified and grieving for her family she is tired and hungry when she stumbles across the isolated cottage that Osborn shares with his brothers Bernt and Torben. Osborn is the last of the Ursan beserkers, his village was destroyed in a vampire attack that only his 2 young brothers survived. After years working as a mercenary to provide for them all Osborn wants now is a quiet life and to eventually get revenge on the vampires that took everything from them. The last thing he needs is a beautiful stranger invading his space, particularly one who has been invading his dreams to share passionate kisses. Breena is determined to trace her brothers and discover what happened to their kingdom and she will do whatever it takes to get Osborn to help her achieve her goals.
I have to admit I wasn't a huge fan of the first book in this series which surprised me because I'm a fan of Gena Showalter. This is the first book that I've read by Jill Monroe so I wasn't too sure what to expect when I picked up Lord of Rage but I found I enjoyed it more than the first book. There seemed to be more humour to the story and I laughed several times while I was reading it. I liked the fact that the comparison to Goldilocks was more obvious and I did find it amusing when Breena steals the beserker's porridge, breaks their chair and falls asleep in his bed!
I wasn't the biggest fan of Breena to begin with though, she comes across as pretty useless and there were several times when she listed her top skill as being good at brushing her hair. Now I know she was a princess who'd led a very sheltered life but I like my heroines to have a bit more spunk to them than that and I was worried she was going to be a complete doormat. She did change quite a bit as Osborn started training her though and I was pleased to see her start to gain confidence and grow up a bit. Osborn was a tortured hero with a difficult past who has spent years focused on getting revenge. I actually loved his brothers more than I loved him but he did grow on me as I got to know him better. I was annoyed by the way he kept pawing at Breena every chance he got but would then push her away and be incredible rude to her though. He seemed to change his mind about what he wanted so often that I was almost left with whiplash! Considering how young and innocent she was supposed to be I also felt that she accepted his attitude and attentions a bit too eagerly.
Overall I enjoyed this more than the first book in the series and I will read on to find out what happened to Breena's other brothers and to see if Nicolai can manage to regain his kingdom but unfortunately I don't think this is a series I'll want to re-read in the future.
Lord of Rage is based on the tale of Goldilocks and is the tale of Nicolai's younger sister Breena. Raised as a princess Breena always knew it would be her duty to marry a man chosen by her father to make an alliance between kingdoms. Everything changes when Elden comes under attack and her parents are killed by the blood sorcerer. On their death beds the king and queen used the last of their magic to send their 4 children to safety. Breena finds herself alone in the forest - lost, terrified and grieving for her family she is tired and hungry when she stumbles across the isolated cottage that Osborn shares with his brothers Bernt and Torben. Osborn is the last of the Ursan beserkers, his village was destroyed in a vampire attack that only his 2 young brothers survived. After years working as a mercenary to provide for them all Osborn wants now is a quiet life and to eventually get revenge on the vampires that took everything from them. The last thing he needs is a beautiful stranger invading his space, particularly one who has been invading his dreams to share passionate kisses. Breena is determined to trace her brothers and discover what happened to their kingdom and she will do whatever it takes to get Osborn to help her achieve her goals.
I have to admit I wasn't a huge fan of the first book in this series which surprised me because I'm a fan of Gena Showalter. This is the first book that I've read by Jill Monroe so I wasn't too sure what to expect when I picked up Lord of Rage but I found I enjoyed it more than the first book. There seemed to be more humour to the story and I laughed several times while I was reading it. I liked the fact that the comparison to Goldilocks was more obvious and I did find it amusing when Breena steals the beserker's porridge, breaks their chair and falls asleep in his bed!
I wasn't the biggest fan of Breena to begin with though, she comes across as pretty useless and there were several times when she listed her top skill as being good at brushing her hair. Now I know she was a princess who'd led a very sheltered life but I like my heroines to have a bit more spunk to them than that and I was worried she was going to be a complete doormat. She did change quite a bit as Osborn started training her though and I was pleased to see her start to gain confidence and grow up a bit. Osborn was a tortured hero with a difficult past who has spent years focused on getting revenge. I actually loved his brothers more than I loved him but he did grow on me as I got to know him better. I was annoyed by the way he kept pawing at Breena every chance he got but would then push her away and be incredible rude to her though. He seemed to change his mind about what he wanted so often that I was almost left with whiplash! Considering how young and innocent she was supposed to be I also felt that she accepted his attitude and attentions a bit too eagerly.
Overall I enjoyed this more than the first book in the series and I will read on to find out what happened to Breena's other brothers and to see if Nicolai can manage to regain his kingdom but unfortunately I don't think this is a series I'll want to re-read in the future.
September 12, 2011
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
First, I would recommend reading this series, Royal House of Shadows, in order. This is a series that’s building on each book, and while you could read this as a stand alone, it has elements that are important to the overall storyline and those seem to be building up to combine with the other sibling’s tales in the final book. Breena finds herself alone in a forest, no idea where she is, or how she got there. She’s hungry, tired and when she finds a cabin in the middle of nowhere, she goes in and finds food and a bed and instantly falls asleep. (Goldilocks, anyone?)
Osborn is raising his brothers alone after seeing his family and all his people killed. Osborn is a berserker – he has the spirit of ber within him. The ways of his people were really quiet simple. When the male comes of age he goes on a quest. Either kill the bear hunting him and become one with the bear’s spirit. Or, the bear kills the male and takes on the spirit of the man. Osborn succeeded and now with his bear’s pelt, he’s a true warrior. And he’s Breena’s warrior, who she met long ago in her dreams, as a dream walker.
The cabin Breena finds is Osborn’s and he’s not thrilled with her being there. They recognize each other from their shared dreams, but he’s convinced that she only wants the Osborn from her dreams and not the man he truly is. Breena’s just trying to figure out what happened to her home. She’s slowly gaining back memories, and in the safety of Osborn’s arms, she’s able to dream of the night her parents were killed and realizes who her enemy is and she wants vengeance. Her goal is to get back to her people and lead them, as is her birth right, to reclaim their home. To do that, she needs her warrior to train her.
The relationship was really about Osborn letting himself trust what was happening between he and Breena. He was so sure that she only wanted him in her dreams and that she was meant to be with a more “refined” man, but Breena wasn’t the same woman she was at the start of the story. She was every part the warrior princess she turned into and she became that way because of Osborn. I love a tortured hero and Osborn had a hard time letting go of his painful past and seeing what could be with Breena. He struggled with wanting her, all the while believing that he couldn’t really have her, and Breena wore him down.
Her imagination played with the idea of taking off at a run. He’d chase. He’d catch her. She’d be helpless against his strength. And while he’d threatened her with death a moment ago, she knew that was the last thing he wanted to do to her. He did want to do things to her. Forbidden deeds.
Their relationship had a slow buildup, but it worked. Breena needed to train, and Osborn needed to realize that what was happening between them was real, and not just the dreams playing with their emotions. I loved the added bit with Osborn’s younger brothers. They were so sweet and hungry for any information or stories Osborn would give them about their people and their past. They also liked having Breena around and “wanted to keep her.” It was nice to see Osborn become more open with his brothers as the book went along, no doubt due to Breena's influence.
I overall enjoyed this story very much. It’s a fast read, a little on the shorter side, but it set up Breena and Osborn for the final showdown with the Blood Sorcerer. Now we’re left waiting, along with Breena, for her brothers to make their way to her.
First, I would recommend reading this series, Royal House of Shadows, in order. This is a series that’s building on each book, and while you could read this as a stand alone, it has elements that are important to the overall storyline and those seem to be building up to combine with the other sibling’s tales in the final book. Breena finds herself alone in a forest, no idea where she is, or how she got there. She’s hungry, tired and when she finds a cabin in the middle of nowhere, she goes in and finds food and a bed and instantly falls asleep. (Goldilocks, anyone?)
Osborn is raising his brothers alone after seeing his family and all his people killed. Osborn is a berserker – he has the spirit of ber within him. The ways of his people were really quiet simple. When the male comes of age he goes on a quest. Either kill the bear hunting him and become one with the bear’s spirit. Or, the bear kills the male and takes on the spirit of the man. Osborn succeeded and now with his bear’s pelt, he’s a true warrior. And he’s Breena’s warrior, who she met long ago in her dreams, as a dream walker.
The cabin Breena finds is Osborn’s and he’s not thrilled with her being there. They recognize each other from their shared dreams, but he’s convinced that she only wants the Osborn from her dreams and not the man he truly is. Breena’s just trying to figure out what happened to her home. She’s slowly gaining back memories, and in the safety of Osborn’s arms, she’s able to dream of the night her parents were killed and realizes who her enemy is and she wants vengeance. Her goal is to get back to her people and lead them, as is her birth right, to reclaim their home. To do that, she needs her warrior to train her.
The relationship was really about Osborn letting himself trust what was happening between he and Breena. He was so sure that she only wanted him in her dreams and that she was meant to be with a more “refined” man, but Breena wasn’t the same woman she was at the start of the story. She was every part the warrior princess she turned into and she became that way because of Osborn. I love a tortured hero and Osborn had a hard time letting go of his painful past and seeing what could be with Breena. He struggled with wanting her, all the while believing that he couldn’t really have her, and Breena wore him down.
Her imagination played with the idea of taking off at a run. He’d chase. He’d catch her. She’d be helpless against his strength. And while he’d threatened her with death a moment ago, she knew that was the last thing he wanted to do to her. He did want to do things to her. Forbidden deeds.
Their relationship had a slow buildup, but it worked. Breena needed to train, and Osborn needed to realize that what was happening between them was real, and not just the dreams playing with their emotions. I loved the added bit with Osborn’s younger brothers. They were so sweet and hungry for any information or stories Osborn would give them about their people and their past. They also liked having Breena around and “wanted to keep her.” It was nice to see Osborn become more open with his brothers as the book went along, no doubt due to Breena's influence.
I overall enjoyed this story very much. It’s a fast read, a little on the shorter side, but it set up Breena and Osborn for the final showdown with the Blood Sorcerer. Now we’re left waiting, along with Breena, for her brothers to make their way to her.
September 3, 2011
Lord of Rage is the second installment of the Royal House of Shadows continuity quartet/series, and my first book by Jill Monroe. This is the story of Breena, the second born, Princess of Elden. As with Nicolai she is filled with the thirst for survival and vengeance that their parents instilled in them before their deaths; she also wakes up in a strange place, with a hazy memory. She stumbles on for awhile and comes to a hut in woods, which, unbeknownst to her, belonged to the berserker Osborn, and his two younger brothers. Jill Monroe modeled her story after Goldilocks, and unlike with the first installment, I had no trouble remembering. Some of the scenes were classic Goldilocks, and they made me laugh.
Osborn is a berserker, the last of them, because his entire family and village were destroyed by vampires, save for his two brothers. He ekes out a living for them as a mercenary until he can't take it anymore, and flees to the woods (I am still not sure where/how the woods is in the mythology. Is it outside of time or just a secluded woods? I dunno) - and their hut is what Breena comes across.
Osborn knows Breena as the seductive girl who invades his dreams at night, and Breena knows Osborn as the warrior who she goes to in her dreams at night. Now that she's found him, she wants him to help her in her quest for vengeance.
I am still loving the mythology that has been created for this world, and I also enjoyed Ms. Monroe's storytelling. I was always present in the story, following the journey of the characters.
Three niggling issues -
1. The characters. I felt that for a good part of the book, Breena was a user. She just wanted someone to further her own ends, and nothing more. It's funny, since Nicolai, in the first book, did the same thing to Jane. But the difference as soon as Nicolai realized that Jane was a person, he felt conflicted baout what he had to do. Breena - I didn't get that feeling from her, she was only selfish. So I do not like her as much as I could have. I also felt that Osborn (fitting name for a berserker, lol) was not as honorable a character as he might have been. I hated
2.Breena's background was a bit confusing to me. From the parents Nicolai remembered, I found it hard to believe that these were the same parents who'd raise their daughter only as a princess to be married off. But then, double standards when it comes to sons and daughters is fairly common, so I guess it makes sense. But I still get the feeling that it was out of character for her parents as well as the world. Being raised as a dainty princess just did not fit right.
3. The continuity is kinda off. I felt the same with the previous book, but it did not bother me as much, I guess, because it was the first book. I can't figure out the timeline..or the ages of the royal kids. Were they all caught in a timewarp? I don't know. I can't tell. It's really confusing.
That being said, I really enjoyed the book. I liked watching Osborn and Breena fall in loved. Ms. Monroe has created another winner. On to the third!
*I received this ebook/eARC free from Netgalley; it had no influence on my rating/review*
Osborn is a berserker, the last of them, because his entire family and village were destroyed by vampires, save for his two brothers. He ekes out a living for them as a mercenary until he can't take it anymore, and flees to the woods (I am still not sure where/how the woods is in the mythology. Is it outside of time or just a secluded woods? I dunno) - and their hut is what Breena comes across.
Osborn knows Breena as the seductive girl who invades his dreams at night, and Breena knows Osborn as the warrior who she goes to in her dreams at night. Now that she's found him, she wants him to help her in her quest for vengeance.
I am still loving the mythology that has been created for this world, and I also enjoyed Ms. Monroe's storytelling. I was always present in the story, following the journey of the characters.
Three niggling issues -
1. The characters. I felt that for a good part of the book, Breena was a user. She just wanted someone to further her own ends, and nothing more. It's funny, since Nicolai, in the first book, did the same thing to Jane. But the difference as soon as Nicolai realized that Jane was a person, he felt conflicted baout what he had to do. Breena - I didn't get that feeling from her, she was only selfish. So I do not like her as much as I could have. I also felt that Osborn (fitting name for a berserker, lol) was not as honorable a character as he might have been. I hated
2.Breena's background was a bit confusing to me. From the parents Nicolai remembered, I found it hard to believe that these were the same parents who'd raise their daughter only as a princess to be married off. But then, double standards when it comes to sons and daughters is fairly common, so I guess it makes sense. But I still get the feeling that it was out of character for her parents as well as the world. Being raised as a dainty princess just did not fit right.
3. The continuity is kinda off. I felt the same with the previous book, but it did not bother me as much, I guess, because it was the first book. I can't figure out the timeline..or the ages of the royal kids. Were they all caught in a timewarp? I don't know. I can't tell. It's really confusing.
That being said, I really enjoyed the book. I liked watching Osborn and Breena fall in loved. Ms. Monroe has created another winner. On to the third!
*I received this ebook/eARC free from Netgalley; it had no influence on my rating/review*
October 19, 2011
When her parents' death spell throws Princess Breena to safety, she ends up on Oberon's doorstep, and discovers her Dream Warrior in the flesh. Breena is sure that Oberon is destined to be her champion and help her gain revenge against the evil sorcerer who killed her parents and murdered or enslaved the people of her kingdom. Breena is a Dreamwalker who has lived for the passion that she and Oberon have shared in their dreams. While those dreams form an instant connection between the pair when they finally meet, they also prove to be a double edged sword for Breena, for as much as Oberon desires her, he is equally resentful and suspicious of the nighttime trysts which have left him aching.
I don't think I have read anything by Monroe before, but I really really liked Lord of Rage, I would say probably even 4.5 stars worth. All of the books in this Royal House of Shadows four-author-four-book continuity have had a fairy tale for inspiration, but while the basic story here starts with Goldilocks and the three bears with the twist that leading man is a Berserker and has a mystical connection to a bear spirit, Monroe peppers her story with all kinds of fairy tale references which add an additional element of fun to the tale.
I liked that Oberon was just as fleshed out as Breena, his back story is interesting and Monroe does a really good job giving both of her characters some depth, and even with the dream connection – which adds a bit of steam early on – I like that Monroe backs off, develops their relationship, and gives Breena and Oberon obstacles to overcome in order to win their happily ever after.
On a side note, one thing that really struck about Breena's back story was the reality of being a princess: living only to make a match that will aid her kingdom, trying to be as quiet and unobjectionable as possible throughout her teen years so as not to close off any potential alliances, and being told that once she is safely wed she will at last get to be the person she was meant to be - I find the Disney sparkly gowned princess fantasy more appealing. But while sparkles are nice, there is nothing better than a princess who decides to rescue herself and I really liked that once Breena determines that Oberon isn't going to fight her battle for her, Brena sets out to become her own champion.
I read the four books in the Royal House of Shadows series completely out of order - the third one first, then part of the first one, then the last, and finally this one which was supposed to be second - but I don't think that dampened my enjoyment one iota. My only issue? Now I am having a hard time deciding which book I liked best, Lord of Rage or Nalini Singh's Lord of the Abyss, which I also really enjoyed. I think that Lord of Rage wins though because, unlike Lord of the Abyss which is the final book in the series, Monroe's second place story had the advantage of no expectations for a wrap up.
For readers who are wondering if they can pick and choose which of the Royal House of Shadows stories to read, all of the books have done a good enough restating the rules of the series, and haven't really relied on events in other books. So that they all work just fine as stand alone reads, in case you'd like to give one or two of these fun fairy tale inspired romances a try.
I don't think I have read anything by Monroe before, but I really really liked Lord of Rage, I would say probably even 4.5 stars worth. All of the books in this Royal House of Shadows four-author-four-book continuity have had a fairy tale for inspiration, but while the basic story here starts with Goldilocks and the three bears with the twist that leading man is a Berserker and has a mystical connection to a bear spirit, Monroe peppers her story with all kinds of fairy tale references which add an additional element of fun to the tale.
I liked that Oberon was just as fleshed out as Breena, his back story is interesting and Monroe does a really good job giving both of her characters some depth, and even with the dream connection – which adds a bit of steam early on – I like that Monroe backs off, develops their relationship, and gives Breena and Oberon obstacles to overcome in order to win their happily ever after.
On a side note, one thing that really struck about Breena's back story was the reality of being a princess: living only to make a match that will aid her kingdom, trying to be as quiet and unobjectionable as possible throughout her teen years so as not to close off any potential alliances, and being told that once she is safely wed she will at last get to be the person she was meant to be - I find the Disney sparkly gowned princess fantasy more appealing. But while sparkles are nice, there is nothing better than a princess who decides to rescue herself and I really liked that once Breena determines that Oberon isn't going to fight her battle for her, Brena sets out to become her own champion.
I read the four books in the Royal House of Shadows series completely out of order - the third one first, then part of the first one, then the last, and finally this one which was supposed to be second - but I don't think that dampened my enjoyment one iota. My only issue? Now I am having a hard time deciding which book I liked best, Lord of Rage or Nalini Singh's Lord of the Abyss, which I also really enjoyed. I think that Lord of Rage wins though because, unlike Lord of the Abyss which is the final book in the series, Monroe's second place story had the advantage of no expectations for a wrap up.
For readers who are wondering if they can pick and choose which of the Royal House of Shadows stories to read, all of the books have done a good enough restating the rules of the series, and haven't really relied on events in other books. So that they all work just fine as stand alone reads, in case you'd like to give one or two of these fun fairy tale inspired romances a try.
September 21, 2011
Princess Breena was thrown from her homeland into a mysterious new realm. She stumbles her way unto a cottage that just happens to be the home of the Warrior she has been dreaming of. Only problem is that Osborn isn't the savior she dreamt him to be. He is a scary, imposing dangerous man, yet she is still inexplicably drawn to him. Much to his dismay, he can't seem to stay away from her either. He has turned his back on the very thing she wants him to be, a mercenary for her people. He swore never to sell his skills out again due to a severe betrayal in his past. Tensions run high as they each fight their own natures and each other, but will love or pride win out in the end?
I think the thing that made the romance in Lord of Rage the most believable was how they didn't fall into one another's arms instantly despite the attraction between them. Breena knew him from her dreams, yet when she meets him in person and sees the warrior he is up close, she actually is quite scared. That's exactly the reaction I would expect from a young sheltered princess, and I'm so glad she wasn't made into being a little seductress without any experience. Also, for someone who thinks he is just a mindless killer who has lost his honor, Osborn sure acted quite honorably when it came to his treatment of her. Yes, he is quite gruff and downright angry towards her at times, but he still tries to keep his distance from her sexually as he feels she is meant for a more worthy man. I think by doing that he showed just how worthy he is instead.
While Lord of Rage was an enjoyable read, I can't really say that either Breena nor Osborn were my favorite characters. Breena just seemed to be so naive and weak, and while I do realize she was raised to be that way, it was quite frustrating at times. Underneath it all you could really sense her inner strength, yet it took so long for her to grow the confidence she needed, especially when it came to standing up for herself to Osborn. Now he is a whole other can of worms, because he came off as so strong, to the point of ridiculous levels. He just seemed to be trying too hard to come off as tough and uncaring when underneath he was a world of emotion. Time and time again, I wish Breena had told him to get over himself, or at least not put up with him pushing her away, but her backbone was hidden for just a little too long.
I was a little confused with the time line as in the first installment of this series, Lord of the Vampires, several years from the siege of Elden had passed. Yet this installment is set back to the very beginning. I wonder if there is some kind of time gap between realms that allows more years to pass in one than another, or if this story is simply set before the previous one. I'm very curious to see if I am right about this, and when the battle with the blood sorcerer will take place, and possibly in whose time line. Putting that aside, Lord of Rage was a pretty good read, and I am eager to read the next installment in the series.
I think the thing that made the romance in Lord of Rage the most believable was how they didn't fall into one another's arms instantly despite the attraction between them. Breena knew him from her dreams, yet when she meets him in person and sees the warrior he is up close, she actually is quite scared. That's exactly the reaction I would expect from a young sheltered princess, and I'm so glad she wasn't made into being a little seductress without any experience. Also, for someone who thinks he is just a mindless killer who has lost his honor, Osborn sure acted quite honorably when it came to his treatment of her. Yes, he is quite gruff and downright angry towards her at times, but he still tries to keep his distance from her sexually as he feels she is meant for a more worthy man. I think by doing that he showed just how worthy he is instead.
While Lord of Rage was an enjoyable read, I can't really say that either Breena nor Osborn were my favorite characters. Breena just seemed to be so naive and weak, and while I do realize she was raised to be that way, it was quite frustrating at times. Underneath it all you could really sense her inner strength, yet it took so long for her to grow the confidence she needed, especially when it came to standing up for herself to Osborn. Now he is a whole other can of worms, because he came off as so strong, to the point of ridiculous levels. He just seemed to be trying too hard to come off as tough and uncaring when underneath he was a world of emotion. Time and time again, I wish Breena had told him to get over himself, or at least not put up with him pushing her away, but her backbone was hidden for just a little too long.
I was a little confused with the time line as in the first installment of this series, Lord of the Vampires, several years from the siege of Elden had passed. Yet this installment is set back to the very beginning. I wonder if there is some kind of time gap between realms that allows more years to pass in one than another, or if this story is simply set before the previous one. I'm very curious to see if I am right about this, and when the battle with the blood sorcerer will take place, and possibly in whose time line. Putting that aside, Lord of Rage was a pretty good read, and I am eager to read the next installment in the series.
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