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Black Lotus #2
Echo
It's been said the longest echo ever measured lasted 75 seconds, but I can assure you, this will last much longer. The bang deafened the world around me, muting everything into nullity, allowing the reflection of its destruction to live far beyond its intended life.
It will follow me forever, destroying me—destroying you.
You want answers?
So do I.
It will follow me forever, destroying me—destroying you.
You want answers?
So do I.
335 pages, Paperback
First published May 11, 2015
158 people are currently reading
5533 people want to read
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May 17, 2015
*****2.5 Stars*****
{BR with Mel, Sharon, and Tiffany}
That fire in me is gone. Only ash and embers remain. Echoes and shadows. Darkness and death.
Well all I can say is that I think I went into this one with GREAT EXPECTATIONS, and that may have been why it all went so terribly wrong for me with this book. I was so blown away by "Bang", and that cliffy was so astonomical, all I could do was wait on pins and needles for this book. Ms Blair surely made us wait long enough!! Maybe that also helped to form my opinion on this one. It took too damn long for this second book to be released and I refused to re-read the previous book. Who has time with all the amazing books that keep coming out??
Anyhow I had my favorite guy!! I prayed so hard he pulled through. I'm not going to go into this part of the story because I don't want to spoil this for anyone who hasn't read this yet. All I can say is that this was a freaking journey through CRAZY TOWN!! The heroine did so many disgusting and just bizarro things, I think for sure she was schizophrenic! Talking to dead people, drinking blood, etc!! Yea Nina, Elizabeth, whoever the fuck she was, it was clear she had lost her mind!! I think she went nuts way before she became Nina Vanderwal. I believe this happened when she was just a little girl suffering unimaginable abuse and horror by the hands of her evil foster father!
She goes off to Scotland quite early in the story to be near the birthplace of her beloved Declan. Here she definitely brings her cray cray to another level. I really felt for her when we learned of her nightmarish childhood and another character brought to light something that had bothered me about her vendetta against Bennett. I always had an issue with that because honestly what he did came out of a good place in his heart. He thought he was protecting a friend, and I couldn't understand how a grown ass woman could blame him for something he did as an innocent child. Well of course, she probably still had the mentality of that 10 year old girl who suffered such unimaginable abuse and horrors. She may look like an adult but her mind never fully developed. We will get some insight into her family history which will shed some more light into this deeply disturbed woman.
I really wanted to love this book but all hopes of that happening came to an end when I got to about the 40% mark of the story. The author wrote something so horrific and for me so unforgivable, that I just could not move passed it. Honestly this just wasn't on the same level as the first book. I found myself mentally and emotionally checking out after that point. Many nights I dozed off.
I don't really like dark stories. I've read several and I have loved them but that's because there was some romance in them and there was an HEA. This was just a story that kept throwing one fucked up thing after another at me and honestly sometimes it was just so DISGUSTING. I seriously have an issue when a character keeps getting abused or violated in a degrading way. It just kept happening and my patience wore out.
I'll probably read the last book, but my love is gone for the story and I definitely will not go into it with high expectations. We'll probably be waiting another year anyway. I do have to say that the writing was pretty beautiful. There were many quotes I highlighted. I was impressed with the dialogue but it just wasn't enough to win me over.
This does end on a cliffy, so if you hate those, I'd advise you to just sit back and wait for "Hush".
{BR with Mel, Sharon, and Tiffany}
That fire in me is gone. Only ash and embers remain. Echoes and shadows. Darkness and death.
Well all I can say is that I think I went into this one with GREAT EXPECTATIONS, and that may have been why it all went so terribly wrong for me with this book. I was so blown away by "Bang", and that cliffy was so astonomical, all I could do was wait on pins and needles for this book. Ms Blair surely made us wait long enough!! Maybe that also helped to form my opinion on this one. It took too damn long for this second book to be released and I refused to re-read the previous book. Who has time with all the amazing books that keep coming out??
Anyhow I had my favorite guy!! I prayed so hard he pulled through. I'm not going to go into this part of the story because I don't want to spoil this for anyone who hasn't read this yet. All I can say is that this was a freaking journey through CRAZY TOWN!! The heroine did so many disgusting and just bizarro things, I think for sure she was schizophrenic! Talking to dead people, drinking blood, etc!! Yea Nina, Elizabeth, whoever the fuck she was, it was clear she had lost her mind!! I think she went nuts way before she became Nina Vanderwal. I believe this happened when she was just a little girl suffering unimaginable abuse and horror by the hands of her evil foster father!
She goes off to Scotland quite early in the story to be near the birthplace of her beloved Declan. Here she definitely brings her cray cray to another level. I really felt for her when we learned of her nightmarish childhood and another character brought to light something that had bothered me about her vendetta against Bennett. I always had an issue with that because honestly what he did came out of a good place in his heart. He thought he was protecting a friend, and I couldn't understand how a grown ass woman could blame him for something he did as an innocent child. Well of course, she probably still had the mentality of that 10 year old girl who suffered such unimaginable abuse and horrors. She may look like an adult but her mind never fully developed. We will get some insight into her family history which will shed some more light into this deeply disturbed woman.
I really wanted to love this book but all hopes of that happening came to an end when I got to about the 40% mark of the story. The author wrote something so horrific and for me so unforgivable, that I just could not move passed it. Honestly this just wasn't on the same level as the first book. I found myself mentally and emotionally checking out after that point. Many nights I dozed off.
I don't really like dark stories. I've read several and I have loved them but that's because there was some romance in them and there was an HEA. This was just a story that kept throwing one fucked up thing after another at me and honestly sometimes it was just so DISGUSTING. I seriously have an issue when a character keeps getting abused or violated in a degrading way. It just kept happening and my patience wore out.
I'll probably read the last book, but my love is gone for the story and I definitely will not go into it with high expectations. We'll probably be waiting another year anyway. I do have to say that the writing was pretty beautiful. There were many quotes I highlighted. I was impressed with the dialogue but it just wasn't enough to win me over.
This does end on a cliffy, so if you hate those, I'd advise you to just sit back and wait for "Hush".
May 15, 2015
3.5 "I'll Always Hope For You" Stars!
(BR with Sharon, Patty & Tiffany)
-"Don't worry about me," "You can't break something that was already broken."
-Life is a piece of shit. It gave me a taste-one taste of sweetness-before ripping it away from me. The moment I decided to believe in hope, to believe in goodness, it was taken, only to remind me that I'm all alone in this world. But for once, I wanted to believe.
Nina/Elizabeth has lost everyone she's ever cared about. She is living in Chicago, and is now alone, after all her plans of revenge went wrong. She was so close to getting her fairytale, the life she'd always dreamed of, but never thought she could have. She finally felt love & like she had a home.
-You can't turn your back on the choices you make, and sadly, I made all the wrong ones.
-"There is too much pain in me. There's so much rage and hate, and I don't know how to get rid of it."
-"I've been fighting my whole life trying to rid myself of these feelings that won't go away."
Without the man she loves, Elizabeth is a shell of herself. She can hardly function, and is mentally unstable & destroyed. She carries a lot of guilt, & feels worthless and disgusting. She also still battles all her demons from her abusive childhood. She is all alone in this world, and begins to hallucinate, and see & hear people that aren't there. These visions are comforting to her when she is falling apart emotionally.
Desperate to feel a connection to Declan again, Elizabeth heads to the estate in Scotland that he had always talked about. She misses him terribly and will do anything to feel close to him again. While in Scotland Elizabeth loses her grasp on reality even more & is in a very dark place in her head.
Obviously I can't give anything away by saying who might be dead or alive, but there is someone from her past that is struggling with his feelings for her after all she's put him through, & of course that could be any of the men in her life seeing as she leaves a path of destruction everywhere she goes.
This was a another mind fuck by E.K. Blair full of suspense & it kept my attention throughout. Although I absolutely adored the first book & this authors writing is fabulous, this one had one part that I wasn't happy with & it affected my love of the book & the characters. I still look forward to book three and hope Elizabeth can finally find her HEA!
(BR with Sharon, Patty & Tiffany)
-"Don't worry about me," "You can't break something that was already broken."
-Life is a piece of shit. It gave me a taste-one taste of sweetness-before ripping it away from me. The moment I decided to believe in hope, to believe in goodness, it was taken, only to remind me that I'm all alone in this world. But for once, I wanted to believe.
Nina/Elizabeth has lost everyone she's ever cared about. She is living in Chicago, and is now alone, after all her plans of revenge went wrong. She was so close to getting her fairytale, the life she'd always dreamed of, but never thought she could have. She finally felt love & like she had a home.
-You can't turn your back on the choices you make, and sadly, I made all the wrong ones.
-"There is too much pain in me. There's so much rage and hate, and I don't know how to get rid of it."
-"I've been fighting my whole life trying to rid myself of these feelings that won't go away."
Without the man she loves, Elizabeth is a shell of herself. She can hardly function, and is mentally unstable & destroyed. She carries a lot of guilt, & feels worthless and disgusting. She also still battles all her demons from her abusive childhood. She is all alone in this world, and begins to hallucinate, and see & hear people that aren't there. These visions are comforting to her when she is falling apart emotionally.
Desperate to feel a connection to Declan again, Elizabeth heads to the estate in Scotland that he had always talked about. She misses him terribly and will do anything to feel close to him again. While in Scotland Elizabeth loses her grasp on reality even more & is in a very dark place in her head.
Obviously I can't give anything away by saying who might be dead or alive, but there is someone from her past that is struggling with his feelings for her after all she's put him through, & of course that could be any of the men in her life seeing as she leaves a path of destruction everywhere she goes.
This was a another mind fuck by E.K. Blair full of suspense & it kept my attention throughout. Although I absolutely adored the first book & this authors writing is fabulous, this one had one part that I wasn't happy with & it affected my love of the book & the characters. I still look forward to book three and hope Elizabeth can finally find her HEA!
May 13, 2015
4.5 Twisted Stars
I think it is safe to say, E.K. Blair has crossed over to the dark side. Just what kind of wicked, sinister thoughts lurk in that brilliant mind of hers..
I may no longer hear the screaming demons of my past, but they do indeed to continue to scream. It’s a reminder that you’re never truly free.
The first book of the Black Lotus series ends in a Bang, and in EchoNina Elizabeth faces the consequences of the events she set in place.
Forever changed. Forever a monster. Each bullet leaves a soot stain on your soul that you can’t get rid of, and you never forget the taste of burnt gunpowder on the back of your tongue. Each life you take brands you for eternity.
This book is dark, gritty, and at times straight up appalling. I'm not gonna lie, I felt uncomfortable a few times. These characters are all so messed up, but I devoured this book. I could not put it down. Lies and deceit, hate and revenge, it was a twisted ride. Truths are revealed, but Echo left me with tons of questions. And that final line... I NEED TO KNOW! Hush cannot get here soon enough!
I think it is safe to say, E.K. Blair has crossed over to the dark side. Just what kind of wicked, sinister thoughts lurk in that brilliant mind of hers..
I may no longer hear the screaming demons of my past, but they do indeed to continue to scream. It’s a reminder that you’re never truly free.
The first book of the Black Lotus series ends in a Bang, and in Echo
Forever changed. Forever a monster. Each bullet leaves a soot stain on your soul that you can’t get rid of, and you never forget the taste of burnt gunpowder on the back of your tongue. Each life you take brands you for eternity.
This book is dark, gritty, and at times straight up appalling. I'm not gonna lie, I felt uncomfortable a few times. These characters are all so messed up, but I devoured this book. I could not put it down. Lies and deceit, hate and revenge, it was a twisted ride. Truths are revealed, but Echo left me with tons of questions. And that final line... I NEED TO KNOW! Hush cannot get here soon enough!
May 16, 2015
4.5 Stars
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E.K. Blair produced a sequel that was intensely disturbing and fantastically written! Readers who enjoyed Bang and have spent the last months coming up with a mountain of theories will devour this book in hours.
I honestly can’t give any of the plot away without spoiling this read but here’s a quote that will wet your appetite.
”This woman has ruined me.
I’m a fucking monster.
Obliterated beyond my own recognition.
And it was all for naught.”
My advice to fans is to hit the liquor store, put the kids to bed, refresh yourself with the last chapter of Bang and settle in for a graphically disturbing intoxicating ride!
"Destroyed. Humiliated. And in a sick way... loved."
[image error]
E.K. Blair produced a sequel that was intensely disturbing and fantastically written! Readers who enjoyed Bang and have spent the last months coming up with a mountain of theories will devour this book in hours.
I honestly can’t give any of the plot away without spoiling this read but here’s a quote that will wet your appetite.
”This woman has ruined me.
I’m a fucking monster.
Obliterated beyond my own recognition.
And it was all for naught.”
My advice to fans is to hit the liquor store, put the kids to bed, refresh yourself with the last chapter of Bang and settle in for a graphically disturbing intoxicating ride!
"Destroyed. Humiliated. And in a sick way... loved."
May 8, 2015
If you enjoyed BANG, you're going to LOVE ECHO...
All of the aspects of BANG that had me on the edge of my chair and madly turning the page are back in ECHO. My heart broke and rejoiced for Nina/Elizabeth.
No spoilers...so I can't say anymore...other than READ IT!!
All of the aspects of BANG that had me on the edge of my chair and madly turning the page are back in ECHO. My heart broke and rejoiced for Nina/Elizabeth.
No spoilers...so I can't say anymore...other than READ IT!!
April 9, 2016
***4.5 Twisted Poison Stars!!***
HOLYYYY SHIIIIT!!!
Go ahead and swing by the liquor store, cigarette stand, ice cream shop, drug dealer....whatever your vice is! You're gonna need it for this bad boy!!!
This is a completely spoiler-free review. Any spoilers are in spoiler tags.
I'm gonna be honest, I went into this book thinking that the best that it was going to get out of me was 2.5- 3 stars. There were a few things that I knew going in that I was less than thrilled about. But, after loving Bang so much, I HAD to know, so I finally decided to read it anyway.
Reasons I was hesitant to pick it up BEFORE I read it:
1. Time between books: Yes, EK will say that she believes in quality vs. quantity and she does. This book is just more proof of that and I love her for it. But, wait then and write the whole series before you start releasing books, because this has just NOT been fair to the readers. I don't care how you dress it up, it hasn't been! This is way too intricate of a series to read it all spread apart. And no I have zero interest in re-reading Bang in order for me to be able to comprehend its follow up. I mean, have you seen my TBR lately? Ain't nobody got time to be re-reading books! Lol! Pssshh...
2. DARK FOR THE SAKE OF DARK: Some of the pre-release marketing efforts for this book made me want to do the very opposite of buying it and reading it. I was very worried that the motivation was going to be more towards going dark for the sake of going there and aligning herself with the other said "dark" veteran authors of the sub-genre. And if that's the case, I didn't feel like being a pawn on that mission. I wanted reassuring that the author was committed to taking the story where it needed to go naturally, organically...period. I'm happy to say though that for the MOST part, there was nothing to be worried about on this front. (More on that below.)
Sooo, with all of that mini-rant being said, why did I still say fuck it and read the book anyway? Well, I was still so damn curious for one. The reviews I saw were literally anywhere between "biggest disappointment for a follow up" to "best read of 2015." That and, knowing that the answers to some of those burning questions that I had at the end of Bang were just sitting there on my Kindle, awaiting my attention, just burned me up, so I finally man'ed up, slapped on some balls and said, screw it...let's just do this! Well played, E.K....well played.
I can honestly tell you that I LOVED this book and it blew me away! HOWEVER, it is very dark, and I can see how some might even call it depressing at times, although, I didn't find it to be depressing at all. I found it to be very sad at times, hopeful at others, intense, and above all, about trying to heal.
This is basically a what-happens-after-the revenge story. Does it feel as good as you hoped it would?
"I plot revenge and I kill and I fight and I still hate this life. I still hurt and it won't go away."
Nina is in just about the worst place in her life. She is bordering a mental break...in fact, there were a few times where I was sure she obliterated the border. In addition to all of the darkness of her past and the dangers of her current predicament, she is also kind of having an identity crisis. Is she Nina or is she Elizabeth? And, who is Elizabeth anyway?
Ok, so it's not just all dark and mental shit in this book AT ALL. That was another one of my fears before reading. There is a lot of that but there are also a few very intense action-suspense plot lines that I absolutely loved...like PERFECTION!!! There are a whole bunch of new players that enter the scene that will have you questioning just about everything and everyone!! My takeaway was that, there is a much, MUCH bigger picture going on here that we are just beginning to chip away at!! In fact, I would now classify this series as a mafia/cartel romance.
"You have no clue the tangled web you're caught in. It's almost a privilege to be one who gets to unwrap this gift for you."
So yes there is one character in the book that is incredibly conflicted over his feelings towards Nina/Elizabeth...and very intensely so. He does a few extremely despicable things to her...one of which really crosses a line. HOWEVER, mmmm, it's definitely controversial but Nina never said "no" and she never said "stop," and I kind of liked the elements of her history that it made her face. Am I glad that he did it? No. Do I believe that someone who was pushed to their limit like this would do such a thing? Abso-fucking-lutely.
Couple things I did not like and the only reasons that I was not able to give this book the full 5 stars that, to me, she totally had but...
1) Hallucinations -
2)
3) Hair pulling - Ok, there is a part where someone pulls a chunk of someone else's hair straight out of their head. Is this physically possible? I was seriously sitting on my own couch trying to test this out. Idk, seemed really OTT to me.
4) And finally, call me fucked up but, the line where
Those may seem like a lot, but in comparison to EVERYTHING that happens in this book, they really weren't. They did not lessen my overall enjoyment of the story but they were noteworthy. I just thought they cheapened the story and were OTT. She was good. She was golden in fact without that crap. In my opinion, THOSE were the places where she tried to go dark-for-the-sake-of-dark because they totally stood out. Everything else here totally flowed, and for me, I thought was pretty close to perfect. Exactly where the story needed to go; exactly what I NEEDED to get out of this book.
I am not gonna recommend it. People are definitely going to love or hate this book so you're just gonna need to take a leap of faith and see where you fall. You have to really love a psychological thriller. You have to be fascinated with characters that have multiple qualities of mental illness. If you are looking for role model characters who always make the calm and rational decisions that you would make, well then I can tell you RIGHT NOW this book is NOT for you. These characters are deeply flawed. Deeply depraved. That's the whole reason we're here.
If you've read Bang, I would tell you to go ahead and read this. Yes, there is a cliffy-ish ending but nowhere near the cliffy in Bang, and it is a cliffy with the overall story NOT the hero and heroine. I was ok with it. It's just something that made me more excited for the next book.
If you haven't read Bang, then I would just wait until the whole series is out and read it all then because there really are sooooo many details. (I made a flow chart on poster board just to keep everything straight and so that I'll remember for Hush...lol!)
All in all, EK Blair has legitimately proven that she is a quality dark-romance writer. Her way with words has nearly a twisted poetic quality to it and the way that this book is written makes it completely impossible to put down!!
But again, just like a said at the end of Bang...no one is home free. There are still SO many turns that this series could take and I just pray to God that it takes the right ones. I hope it doesn't turn out that certain people were the "bad guy" the whole time, because that would kill this whole series for me. I do have to say though, that after reading this book, I have faith in E.K., so I am just gonna try to sit here anunpatiently wait for Hush. ;)
HOLYYYY SHIIIIT!!!
Go ahead and swing by the liquor store, cigarette stand, ice cream shop, drug dealer....whatever your vice is! You're gonna need it for this bad boy!!!
This is a completely spoiler-free review. Any spoilers are in spoiler tags.
I'm gonna be honest, I went into this book thinking that the best that it was going to get out of me was 2.5- 3 stars. There were a few things that I knew going in that I was less than thrilled about. But, after loving Bang so much, I HAD to know, so I finally decided to read it anyway.
Reasons I was hesitant to pick it up BEFORE I read it:
1. Time between books: Yes, EK will say that she believes in quality vs. quantity and she does. This book is just more proof of that and I love her for it. But, wait then and write the whole series before you start releasing books, because this has just NOT been fair to the readers. I don't care how you dress it up, it hasn't been! This is way too intricate of a series to read it all spread apart. And no I have zero interest in re-reading Bang in order for me to be able to comprehend its follow up. I mean, have you seen my TBR lately? Ain't nobody got time to be re-reading books! Lol! Pssshh...
2. DARK FOR THE SAKE OF DARK: Some of the pre-release marketing efforts for this book made me want to do the very opposite of buying it and reading it. I was very worried that the motivation was going to be more towards going dark for the sake of going there and aligning herself with the other said "dark" veteran authors of the sub-genre. And if that's the case, I didn't feel like being a pawn on that mission. I wanted reassuring that the author was committed to taking the story where it needed to go naturally, organically...period. I'm happy to say though that for the MOST part, there was nothing to be worried about on this front. (More on that below.)
Sooo, with all of that mini-rant being said, why did I still say fuck it and read the book anyway? Well, I was still so damn curious for one. The reviews I saw were literally anywhere between "biggest disappointment for a follow up" to "best read of 2015." That and, knowing that the answers to some of those burning questions that I had at the end of Bang were just sitting there on my Kindle, awaiting my attention, just burned me up, so I finally man'ed up, slapped on some balls and said, screw it...let's just do this! Well played, E.K....well played.
I can honestly tell you that I LOVED this book and it blew me away! HOWEVER, it is very dark, and I can see how some might even call it depressing at times, although, I didn't find it to be depressing at all. I found it to be very sad at times, hopeful at others, intense, and above all, about trying to heal.
This is basically a what-happens-after-the revenge story. Does it feel as good as you hoped it would?
"I plot revenge and I kill and I fight and I still hate this life. I still hurt and it won't go away."
Nina is in just about the worst place in her life. She is bordering a mental break...in fact, there were a few times where I was sure she obliterated the border. In addition to all of the darkness of her past and the dangers of her current predicament, she is also kind of having an identity crisis. Is she Nina or is she Elizabeth? And, who is Elizabeth anyway?
Ok, so it's not just all dark and mental shit in this book AT ALL. That was another one of my fears before reading. There is a lot of that but there are also a few very intense action-suspense plot lines that I absolutely loved...like PERFECTION!!! There are a whole bunch of new players that enter the scene that will have you questioning just about everything and everyone!! My takeaway was that, there is a much, MUCH bigger picture going on here that we are just beginning to chip away at!! In fact, I would now classify this series as a mafia/cartel romance.
"You have no clue the tangled web you're caught in. It's almost a privilege to be one who gets to unwrap this gift for you."
So yes there is one character in the book that is incredibly conflicted over his feelings towards Nina/Elizabeth...and very intensely so. He does a few extremely despicable things to her...one of which really crosses a line. HOWEVER, mmmm, it's definitely controversial but Nina never said "no" and she never said "stop," and I kind of liked the elements of her history that it made her face. Am I glad that he did it? No. Do I believe that someone who was pushed to their limit like this would do such a thing? Abso-fucking-lutely.
Couple things I did not like and the only reasons that I was not able to give this book the full 5 stars that, to me, she totally had but...
1) Hallucinations -
2)
3) Hair pulling - Ok, there is a part where someone pulls a chunk of someone else's hair straight out of their head. Is this physically possible? I was seriously sitting on my own couch trying to test this out. Idk, seemed really OTT to me.
4) And finally, call me fucked up but, the line where
Those may seem like a lot, but in comparison to EVERYTHING that happens in this book, they really weren't. They did not lessen my overall enjoyment of the story but they were noteworthy. I just thought they cheapened the story and were OTT. She was good. She was golden in fact without that crap. In my opinion, THOSE were the places where she tried to go dark-for-the-sake-of-dark because they totally stood out. Everything else here totally flowed, and for me, I thought was pretty close to perfect. Exactly where the story needed to go; exactly what I NEEDED to get out of this book.
I am not gonna recommend it. People are definitely going to love or hate this book so you're just gonna need to take a leap of faith and see where you fall. You have to really love a psychological thriller. You have to be fascinated with characters that have multiple qualities of mental illness. If you are looking for role model characters who always make the calm and rational decisions that you would make, well then I can tell you RIGHT NOW this book is NOT for you. These characters are deeply flawed. Deeply depraved. That's the whole reason we're here.
If you've read Bang, I would tell you to go ahead and read this. Yes, there is a cliffy-ish ending but nowhere near the cliffy in Bang, and it is a cliffy with the overall story NOT the hero and heroine. I was ok with it. It's just something that made me more excited for the next book.
If you haven't read Bang, then I would just wait until the whole series is out and read it all then because there really are sooooo many details. (I made a flow chart on poster board just to keep everything straight and so that I'll remember for Hush...lol!)
All in all, EK Blair has legitimately proven that she is a quality dark-romance writer. Her way with words has nearly a twisted poetic quality to it and the way that this book is written makes it completely impossible to put down!!
But again, just like a said at the end of Bang...no one is home free. There are still SO many turns that this series could take and I just pray to God that it takes the right ones. I hope it doesn't turn out that certain people were the "bad guy" the whole time, because that would kill this whole series for me. I do have to say though, that after reading this book, I have faith in E.K., so I am just gonna try to sit here an
May 15, 2015
*** 4.25 STARS ***
WELL,THIS IS ONE OF THE HARDEST BOOKS TO REVIEW...
It's IMPOSSIBLE to go into the story in any way without spoiling the plot.I normally like to post images of the main characters in reviews but I can't...in fact the only name I can mention is Elizabeth...
The story picks up right where BANG ended.To be honest the first half of the book left me emotionally exhausted.Elizabeth's inner dialogue and actions left me drained.Her actions were very hard to read at times but totally relevant for the reader to understand her fragility...
The second half has more in the way of action,with lies,betrayal and I honestly didn't know which way the story was going to go.I didn't like Elizabeth in the first book but in this one I actually felt for her and definitely understood her more as the horrendous things she suffered in her young life were explained more.
There are a few NEW CHARACTERS introduced and one in particular is very intriguing as their story is not resolved..
THIS BOOK IS...
RAW
GRITTY
DISTURBING
TOTALLY ENGROSSING
If someone asked me if I enjoyed it I wouldn't know what to say,which sounds ridiculous as I've given it a high rating...what I will say is that it TOTALLY captivated me,I could not put it down.
These books definitely won't be for everyone but I would say if you REALLY enjoyed BANG then this is a must read
And,THE ENDING, My God....THOSE TWO WORDS....I've got my theory and I CANNOT wait for the next one!!!
WELL,THIS IS ONE OF THE HARDEST BOOKS TO REVIEW...
It's IMPOSSIBLE to go into the story in any way without spoiling the plot.I normally like to post images of the main characters in reviews but I can't...in fact the only name I can mention is Elizabeth...
The story picks up right where BANG ended.To be honest the first half of the book left me emotionally exhausted.Elizabeth's inner dialogue and actions left me drained.Her actions were very hard to read at times but totally relevant for the reader to understand her fragility...
The second half has more in the way of action,with lies,betrayal and I honestly didn't know which way the story was going to go.I didn't like Elizabeth in the first book but in this one I actually felt for her and definitely understood her more as the horrendous things she suffered in her young life were explained more.
There are a few NEW CHARACTERS introduced and one in particular is very intriguing as their story is not resolved..
THIS BOOK IS...
RAW
GRITTY
DISTURBING
TOTALLY ENGROSSING
If someone asked me if I enjoyed it I wouldn't know what to say,which sounds ridiculous as I've given it a high rating...what I will say is that it TOTALLY captivated me,I could not put it down.
These books definitely won't be for everyone but I would say if you REALLY enjoyed BANG then this is a must read
And,THE ENDING, My God....THOSE TWO WORDS....I've got my theory and I CANNOT wait for the next one!!!
February 6, 2016
Mind Blowing!
I've been anxiously awaiting the release of 'Echo' since the moment I finished 'Bang'. The Black Lotus series continues to blow me away. With the flip of each page, another layer of mystery and deceit is revealed. This book had my complete attention from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down.
Without giving away any major elements, I'll just say that everything was not as it seemed at the end of 'Bang'. Elizabeth/Nina is a shell of the strong, witty woman that we remembered. It seems that she may have a conscience after all!
However, regretful or not, some actions cannot be undone or forgiven. Elizabeth is quickly learning that vengeance has a high price. Her actions have punished her as much as anyone she set out to hurt. Utterly alone, she is forced to live in the cold reality she created.
As the story progresses, it becomes clear that things are not as they seem. Connections between her current life and her past lives are brought to light. No longer the predator, but the prey, Elizabeth realizes the true cost of her manipulative ways as she is forced to suffer at the hands of those who feel wronged by her.
Like the first book, 'Echo' ends with a cliffhanger that will leave you dying to get your hands on the next book. I love this series and will be anxiously awaiting book 3 in the trilogy to see how everything plays out. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next one!
I've been anxiously awaiting the release of 'Echo' since the moment I finished 'Bang'. The Black Lotus series continues to blow me away. With the flip of each page, another layer of mystery and deceit is revealed. This book had my complete attention from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down.
Without giving away any major elements, I'll just say that everything was not as it seemed at the end of 'Bang'. Elizabeth/Nina is a shell of the strong, witty woman that we remembered. It seems that she may have a conscience after all!
However, regretful or not, some actions cannot be undone or forgiven. Elizabeth is quickly learning that vengeance has a high price. Her actions have punished her as much as anyone she set out to hurt. Utterly alone, she is forced to live in the cold reality she created.
As the story progresses, it becomes clear that things are not as they seem. Connections between her current life and her past lives are brought to light. No longer the predator, but the prey, Elizabeth realizes the true cost of her manipulative ways as she is forced to suffer at the hands of those who feel wronged by her.
Like the first book, 'Echo' ends with a cliffhanger that will leave you dying to get your hands on the next book. I love this series and will be anxiously awaiting book 3 in the trilogy to see how everything plays out. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next one!
July 21, 2015
‘I may no longer hear the screaming demons of my past, but they do indeed to continue to scream. It’s a reminder that you’re never truly free.’
Well, well, well E.k. Blair! Behind that happy go lucky giggly face we see on Social Media lurks a very sinister, disturbing and scary alter ego, with a very macabre imagination! Just how your brain works is a bit of a concern because this was one MESSED UP story and Elizabeth is one MESSED UP character!! And we mean that in a very complimentary way!
‘Only ash and embers remain. Echoes and shadows. Darkness and death.’
First off, due to the nature of how Bang concluded, we are going to be purposely vague in our review of Echo. We do not want to spoil any part this book for readers and for that reason we will not delve into the story nor mention any characters names other than Elizabeth.
How did we feel about Echo? Hmmm we really don’t know to be honest. We couldn’t stop reading it we know that much. We were constantly astonished at the talent of this author, of that there is no doubt! We were consumed with conspiracy theories all the way through, and consistently guessing how or what was going on, only to have the author throw another curve ball at us. It was akin to reading whilst performing the Boston Two Step. One step forward, two steps back. For every answer there was a question. However the gripping and addictive emotions we felt in Bang didn’t quite surface as significantly in Echo.
Now that isn’t to say Echo was a let-down, because it certainly wasn’t yet neither was it what we would call an ‘enjoyable read.’ In fact, this installment could, at times, be downright disturbing and exhausting.
“Everybody has secrets, everybody lies, and everybody cheats their way through life for self-fulfilment. We wouldn’t do it if we felt sorry; we do it because it’s our human right to seek happiness.”
We talked for hours after we finished Echo and both of us said there were certain scenes we wish we could ‘unread’ as we found them somewhat grotesque and uncomfortable. There were times we felt sick to our stomachs. Not emotionally sick as we did in Bang, but more uncomfortably sick. As in; certain scenes were just too much.
We’re not squeamish or timid readers by any stretch of the imagination but we found some of the actions of Elizabeth were added more for the sake of a shock factor than emotional depth. We grasped Elizabeth’s fragility and desperation through her internal dialogue, and felt we didn’t need the physical scenes to enforce that. In fact, those scenes had an opposite effect whereby the sympathy we felt for Elizabeth in Bang, somewhat diminished in Echo. We felt her character too extreme, too forced and the occasional softness which accompanied her in Bang was absent in Echo.
‘Sometimes, for some people, the fairytale only exists in death.’
In Bang, the horrifying nature of the events and the story left us emotionally wrought, the actions in Echo left us feeling drained, just drained. It was exhausting being inside Elizabeth’s head and we found it hard going at times. In Bang, the extreme nature of the story and events felt organic and natural in some respect, whereas, in Echo they didn’t on the whole.
‘My body is used up and polluted. It always was and always will be.’
The second part of this story had us riveted and sitting on tenterhooks. It was then we were blown away! As the story progressed and worked towards its crescendo we were left worn out and teetering on a knife edge! All is not as it seems, people are not who they appear to be, lies, treachery, deceit and duplicity abound in this second installment that left our mouths agape and our stomachs in knots! We know one thing for sure…We NEED HUSH and we NEED IT NOW!!! Bloody hell, we felt as if we had run a marathon, only to end up back at the beginning and needing to put ourselves through it all over again in Hush!
**Reviewed from an ARC copy provided by the author, with thanks**
Our 5 Star Review for BANG BOOK ONE
THE BLACK LOTUS SERIES
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October 25, 2021
Raped humiliated and physically assaulted by hero. And our heroine believes she deserves it ...
The whole book is basically torture. My eyes were not spared they are swollen to the max . Cant belive i want to read HUSH,
But seems like she dies and I really want her to...
The whole book is basically torture. My eyes were not spared they are swollen to the max . Cant belive i want to read HUSH,
But seems like she dies and I really want her to...
May 27, 2015
TITLE: Echo
SERIES: (Black Lotus #2)
AUTHOR: E.K.Blair
GENRE: Dark | Contemporary | New Adult
RELEASED: May 11th, 2015
MY RATING: ★★★★★
Bang and Echo were AMAZEBALLS!!
E.K.Blair took me on a crazy journey through an emotionally DARK GRITTY tale of DEATH, MANIPULATION, LIES AND DECEIT..
Hmmmmm I wonder if I need to buy bulk in wine and if this is going to be az fucked up as Book #1 because that was one ride on the cray cray train to the looney bin that was Elizabeth that I could've done without!! And I wonder which ghosts are going to come out of the woodworks!! These are the questions I asked myself before embarking into this book..
Wine YES Therapy YES
The man who showed me what it was to be love..Truly loved..In the purest form is gone..Gone at the hands of my brother..My other lover..My Protector.
it's raw, tragic, emotional, inspirational, a truly gritty read , that it will have you on a roller coaster of craziness that is Elizabeth's life..This book will leave your emotions reeling even when you've read that last page..This like book #1 is not a "Fairy Tale" love story, so prepare yourself..
That fire in me is gone..Only ash and embers remain ECHOES and shadows. darkness and death..
I love you no matter how dark you turn
This makes for some gut wrenching unbearable reading and in some parts it's hard to read, Elizabeth is on a downward spiral to hell which I'm guessing because instead of being the (ice Queen) and hiding her emotions, now that she's opened up that closed vault in her mind she breaks down completely..
The CLIFFY QUEENstrikes again with how this ended!!
It can't be
Oh my God
He's alive
GAH!!!
January 5, 2016
Genre: Dark Erotic Suspense
Type: Book 2 of 3 from Black Lotus series
POV: First Person – Female (partially multiple)
Rating:
After the devastating result of her quest for vengeance, Nina Vanderwal’s life was thrown into disarray. She struggled with her identity, not knowing to keep living a lie or go back to who she really was. Wanting to feel close to her loved one, she went to Scotland, only to discover more heartbreak and devastation.
After finishing Bang, I had my own theory which direction the story is going. I was right about some of the elements, but glad the author still managed to throw me off balance.
I was apathetic to Nina in previous book, but now I liked her a lot better. She was a lot more vulnerable to the point of disturbing. Like previous book, there were some graphic and disturbing scenes that might likely to repulse some readers.
She was desperate for repentance. She had hard time accepting the fall out of her previous actions and realized what she wanted then might not actually bring her peace.
There were several new characters in this book that added to the questions and intrigue. Secrets from the past were revealed, but with that more unanswered questions were brought up.
Echo ended with a major question that could totally change the direction of the whole series. I’m hoping for a dramatic ending that will blow everything away. Lets hope it comes sooner ;)
Books in the series:
★ ★ ★ (F)BR With Javigina Twin CC ★ ★ ★
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
Type: Book 2 of 3 from Black Lotus series
POV: First Person – Female (partially multiple)
Rating:
After the devastating result of her quest for vengeance, Nina Vanderwal’s life was thrown into disarray. She struggled with her identity, not knowing to keep living a lie or go back to who she really was. Wanting to feel close to her loved one, she went to Scotland, only to discover more heartbreak and devastation.
After finishing Bang, I had my own theory which direction the story is going. I was right about some of the elements, but glad the author still managed to throw me off balance.
I’ve been beaten, whipped, tied up for days, and one thing I’ve learned: physical pain is much more tolerable than mental pain.
I was apathetic to Nina in previous book, but now I liked her a lot better. She was a lot more vulnerable to the point of disturbing. Like previous book, there were some graphic and disturbing scenes that might likely to repulse some readers.
She was desperate for repentance. She had hard time accepting the fall out of her previous actions and realized what she wanted then might not actually bring her peace.
There were several new characters in this book that added to the questions and intrigue. Secrets from the past were revealed, but with that more unanswered questions were brought up.
Echo ended with a major question that could totally change the direction of the whole series. I’m hoping for a dramatic ending that will blow everything away. Lets hope it comes sooner ;)
Books in the series:
★ ★ ★ (F)BR With Javigina Twin CC ★ ★ ★
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
May 24, 2015
So, things were pretty devastating at the end of Bang and it was hard to know who was going to make it out. Nina/Elizabeth has really gone over the deep end...she is a mess. And things only get worse.
Without giving things away, I just have to say that this is the grossest book I think I've ever read. If it's not the grossest, it's pretty darn close. It's hard to reconcile some of the things that happen.
We do get A LOT of answers...there just not always the answers we want. But things do move forward. My heart just really goes out to Nina/Elizabeth...I mean, just how much does she have to go through? Some things were really hard to read.
The bummer part of this book is that there is no steam...how could there be? And consequently, it's a pretty depressing book. It certainly wasn't what I expected out of E.K. Blair...she's always so upbeat and funny. And this is not. (great imagination I guess!)
And the ending leaves us with another "Who is it?" At this point, it's anybody's guess. I'm not sure I have the energy to try to figure it out. I'll just wait for the next book!
The Good Stuff:
Dual Pov's? Yes.
Steam Factor? (Scale 1 - 5) negative 5 or 10...it's pretty bad. :(
Angst? (Scale 1 - 5) Not really angsty just depressing.
Next book? Hush is next and it says it will be released in 2015. *fingers crossed*
Favorite quote:
♥ "You want hope where hope doesn't exist."
♦ BR w/Melissa, Patty and Tiff!
Without giving things away, I just have to say that this is the grossest book I think I've ever read. If it's not the grossest, it's pretty darn close. It's hard to reconcile some of the things that happen.
We do get A LOT of answers...there just not always the answers we want. But things do move forward. My heart just really goes out to Nina/Elizabeth...I mean, just how much does she have to go through? Some things were really hard to read.
The bummer part of this book is that there is no steam...how could there be? And consequently, it's a pretty depressing book. It certainly wasn't what I expected out of E.K. Blair...she's always so upbeat and funny. And this is not. (great imagination I guess!)
And the ending leaves us with another "Who is it?" At this point, it's anybody's guess. I'm not sure I have the energy to try to figure it out. I'll just wait for the next book!
The Good Stuff:
Dual Pov's? Yes.
Steam Factor? (Scale 1 - 5) negative 5 or 10...it's pretty bad. :(
Angst? (Scale 1 - 5) Not really angsty just depressing.
Next book? Hush is next and it says it will be released in 2015. *fingers crossed*
Favorite quote:
♥ "You want hope where hope doesn't exist."
♦ BR w/Melissa, Patty and Tiff!
Want to read
May 29, 2014When is this book coming out? I just finished Bang and I desperately need it!!!!
August 20, 2023
“𝓗𝓮'𝓼 𝓶𝔂 𝓼𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓽, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘'𝓶 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓸𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓼𝓽. 𝓦𝓮'𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻'𝓼 𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼.”
“𝓜𝔂 𝓫𝓵𝓮𝓮𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽. 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓬𝓻𝓪𝔀𝓵 𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓼𝓴𝓲𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓭𝓻𝓸𝔀𝓷 𝓶𝔂𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯 𝓲𝓷 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓭. 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝔀𝓲𝓶 𝓲𝓷 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓶𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓸𝔀.”
3.5-4 Stars
These are totally feeding the darkness I was craving.
"𝓘 𝓶𝓪𝔂 𝓷𝓸 𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓭𝓮𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝔂 𝓹𝓪𝓼𝓽, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓭𝓸 𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶. 𝓘𝓽'𝓼 𝓪 𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾'𝓻𝓮 𝓷𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓵𝔂 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓮."
"𝓜𝔂 𝓼𝓸𝓾𝓵 𝓫𝓵𝓮𝓮𝓭𝓼 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮, 𝓯𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓸𝓲𝓼𝓸𝓷 𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓪𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓸𝓶 𝓸𝓯 𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓶𝓮."
"𝓓𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱 𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓶𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓷𝓽- 𝓘 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓸𝓸 𝔀𝓮𝓵𝓵- 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓷𝓸 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝔀𝓮 𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓮, 𝓷𝓸 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓷𝓾𝓶𝓫 𝔀𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮, 𝔀𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓲𝓷𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓿𝓪𝓬𝓪𝓷𝓬𝔂. 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓼𝓸𝓾𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓾𝓷𝓯𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓭. 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝔂'𝓻𝓮 𝓮𝓶𝓹𝓽𝔂 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓾𝓷𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓵."
April 23, 2015
I have tears in my eyes. Just...WOW!
*Eeeek! I got my greedy little hands on an ARC!
*Eeeek! I got my greedy little hands on an ARC!
May 15, 2015
Wow, never have I fallen out of love with a series so fast. I finished Bang on Wed., gave it a 5 star rating, and couldn’t wait to delve into book 2. What a disappointment this book turned out to be. In Bang, we witness Nina in her twisted plot to seek revenge. She was a cold and calculated strategist, who wouldn’t allow her emotions to derail her diabolical plans. In Echo, Nina is no longer the tough-as-nails survivor, she is now a shell, immensely broken. But that isn’t why I fell out of love with this series, Nina’s brokenness and her slide into a mental breakdown is the most interesting part of Echo, my problem is all the glorified rape scenes and sexual abuse that appears to be the theme for the second book. Bang caused me to be uncomfortable because there were so many graphic pedophile scenes, that it felt gratuitous at time, but I let my doubt slide and thought that the author is trying to show us what caused Nina to be so broken. In Echo, I no longer doubt that the sexual abuse scenes are gratuitous, the book centers on them. There are several pages where consenting sex is mixed with sexual abuse scenes, that I went from being uncomfortable to wondering if the author can come up with another scenario. The biggest reason that I was disappointed in Echo, is below, and be aware that it does contain SPOILERS.
******SPOILER WARNING********
I loved Bang, the ending was so full of twists and turns that it left me gulping for air. Echo makes a mockery of that ending, because everyone who bites the bullet in Bang, miraculously survives in Echo. If you’re going to have the balls to give an ending like Bang, then stick to it. Don’t do a “do-over” with the same characters being reincarnated, it’s like when a book has a painful character’s death, and then pages later, the reader finds out that it’s all a dream. That’s bullshit, a cheap and easy way to get an emotional rise from the reader. Where Bang gave us twists and turns, Echo gives us the expected and ridiculous. The only surprise for me is that I’ve grown to dislike DeClan immensely. I understand his hostility and hatred towards Elizabeth/Nina, but I don’t understand his desire to hear her recount all the sexual abuse from her childhood and then want to use that knowledge to degrade her even more. He knows that she is unwell, and yet he uses sexual perverseness to punish her more. The story is loaded with these scenes, and it’s too much. I seriously doubt his love for her, that’s it’s just sex. He brings her home after she has been kidnapped, raped, and beaten, and he has sex with her that night. That’s why I say this book is just pages of glorified rape, sexual abuse, and sex.
The element of surprise is also missing from the story, you know immediately that the characters who perished in Bang, didn’t actually die. When I discovered this, I also predicted which character was tied to the other, and all my predictions came true. I’ll go a step further and tell you a prediction for the 3rd book, Elizabeth’s mom is the social worker who showed up at her foster parent’s house, the one who had the familiar face.
Bottom line: I wished that I had walked away from this series after reading Bang.
******SPOILER WARNING********
I loved Bang, the ending was so full of twists and turns that it left me gulping for air. Echo makes a mockery of that ending, because everyone who bites the bullet in Bang, miraculously survives in Echo. If you’re going to have the balls to give an ending like Bang, then stick to it. Don’t do a “do-over” with the same characters being reincarnated, it’s like when a book has a painful character’s death, and then pages later, the reader finds out that it’s all a dream. That’s bullshit, a cheap and easy way to get an emotional rise from the reader. Where Bang gave us twists and turns, Echo gives us the expected and ridiculous. The only surprise for me is that I’ve grown to dislike DeClan immensely. I understand his hostility and hatred towards Elizabeth/Nina, but I don’t understand his desire to hear her recount all the sexual abuse from her childhood and then want to use that knowledge to degrade her even more. He knows that she is unwell, and yet he uses sexual perverseness to punish her more. The story is loaded with these scenes, and it’s too much. I seriously doubt his love for her, that’s it’s just sex. He brings her home after she has been kidnapped, raped, and beaten, and he has sex with her that night. That’s why I say this book is just pages of glorified rape, sexual abuse, and sex.
The element of surprise is also missing from the story, you know immediately that the characters who perished in Bang, didn’t actually die. When I discovered this, I also predicted which character was tied to the other, and all my predictions came true. I’ll go a step further and tell you a prediction for the 3rd book, Elizabeth’s mom is the social worker who showed up at her foster parent’s house, the one who had the familiar face.
Bottom line: I wished that I had walked away from this series after reading Bang.
May 11, 2015
ECHO (Black Lotus #2) by EK Blair
5 stars!!!
This is probably going to be the shortest review that I have ever written. The whole book is a spoiler so guess what...I cannot say a bloody thing without giving something away. EK Blair certainly knows how to make a bloggers job ten times more difficult.
The whole vibe of this book is very different from BANG and this is a good thing. We finally get to see a totally different side to Elizabeth, a more human side, but that is not to say the other Elizabeth is not hidden underneath, we just don’t get to see that as much in this book, but I have high hopes for her. After the ending of BANG it was hard to see how she could not be affected by BANG’s events but knowing how cold and sterile she was throughout BANG nothing would have surprised me.
Dare I say it...I actually felt sorry for Elizabeth, I couldn’t help it...many a tear fell for her during this book and I mean a lot of tears. There is something about seeing someone so open and vulnerable that cannot help but tug at the heart strings despite their cold hearted alter ego. Nina for all intents and purposes was a villain in BANG, I am sure we were not meant to hate her, but at times I could not help it, but I always had felt sorry for her too, her past determined who she became and I couldn’t help but always revert back to her earlier memories of the princess that she was when she was with her father. Through some truly amazing, magical words EK Blair manages to seemingly do the impossible.
ECHO is one fantastic read, we may have had a long wait but let me tell every second of that wait was worth it...so worth it. This book is once again a total mind fuck. If you are like me and read quickly you will probably need to read this twice. The first time to get to the end to find out what happens and then the second time a slow read to pick up all the little breadcrumbs that EK Blair litters throughout this book. There are still many things that need to be revealed but at least we got a few answers to others in this book.
This book is emotional; you will run through a plethora of them, heart stopping, jaw dropping emotions together with some heart wrenching and heart breaking moments. It is hard to convey just how hard of a book this was to read, emotionally. I ran the gamut; I had no option but to berate EK Blair throughout reading this but at the end I couldn’t help but sit back and admire the greatness of the book that I had just devoured.
This book is powerful, expressive, breath-taking, visceral, haunting, debilitating, sensitive, intense, honest, profound, manipulative, desperate, and riveting and just one hell of a darn good read. I sincerely bow down to EK Blair’s greatness. This bubbly larger than life author that I had the pleasure of meeting last year somehow has this twisted, dark, sinister alter ego residing somewhere inside her head with the main aim of destroying us the reader. Seriously though, I love this side to her, I remember way back when I first stumbled across her first book Fading, that book spoke to me just by the cover and it is one book that I have never regretted picking up. I have yet to read a bad book from EK Blair, no matter the subject her words captivate me, enchant me and keep me reading from first to last word. I cannot wait for HUSH, I seriously need it like yesterday, but once again I am willing to wait, after all perfection cannot be rushed and this book, was just that...PERFECT!!
www.theromancecover.com
5 stars!!!
“You didn’t break me. You can’t break something that was already broken.”
This is probably going to be the shortest review that I have ever written. The whole book is a spoiler so guess what...I cannot say a bloody thing without giving something away. EK Blair certainly knows how to make a bloggers job ten times more difficult.
The whole vibe of this book is very different from BANG and this is a good thing. We finally get to see a totally different side to Elizabeth, a more human side, but that is not to say the other Elizabeth is not hidden underneath, we just don’t get to see that as much in this book, but I have high hopes for her. After the ending of BANG it was hard to see how she could not be affected by BANG’s events but knowing how cold and sterile she was throughout BANG nothing would have surprised me.
“The agony is too much, so I wail in a torturous breathlessness. My heart, splintering, ripping apart, takes on a new meaning of misery, creating an emotion that never existed before this very moment, but it’s too much. I can’t bear it, but I feel its birth inside of me.”
Dare I say it...I actually felt sorry for Elizabeth, I couldn’t help it...many a tear fell for her during this book and I mean a lot of tears. There is something about seeing someone so open and vulnerable that cannot help but tug at the heart strings despite their cold hearted alter ego. Nina for all intents and purposes was a villain in BANG, I am sure we were not meant to hate her, but at times I could not help it, but I always had felt sorry for her too, her past determined who she became and I couldn’t help but always revert back to her earlier memories of the princess that she was when she was with her father. Through some truly amazing, magical words EK Blair manages to seemingly do the impossible.
“The fire in me is gone. Only ash and embers remain. Echoes and shadows. Darkness and death.”
ECHO is one fantastic read, we may have had a long wait but let me tell every second of that wait was worth it...so worth it. This book is once again a total mind fuck. If you are like me and read quickly you will probably need to read this twice. The first time to get to the end to find out what happens and then the second time a slow read to pick up all the little breadcrumbs that EK Blair litters throughout this book. There are still many things that need to be revealed but at least we got a few answers to others in this book.
“Destroyed. Humiliated. And in a sick way...loved.”
This book is emotional; you will run through a plethora of them, heart stopping, jaw dropping emotions together with some heart wrenching and heart breaking moments. It is hard to convey just how hard of a book this was to read, emotionally. I ran the gamut; I had no option but to berate EK Blair throughout reading this but at the end I couldn’t help but sit back and admire the greatness of the book that I had just devoured.
“But my truth is so ugly.”
This book is powerful, expressive, breath-taking, visceral, haunting, debilitating, sensitive, intense, honest, profound, manipulative, desperate, and riveting and just one hell of a darn good read. I sincerely bow down to EK Blair’s greatness. This bubbly larger than life author that I had the pleasure of meeting last year somehow has this twisted, dark, sinister alter ego residing somewhere inside her head with the main aim of destroying us the reader. Seriously though, I love this side to her, I remember way back when I first stumbled across her first book Fading, that book spoke to me just by the cover and it is one book that I have never regretted picking up. I have yet to read a bad book from EK Blair, no matter the subject her words captivate me, enchant me and keep me reading from first to last word. I cannot wait for HUSH, I seriously need it like yesterday, but once again I am willing to wait, after all perfection cannot be rushed and this book, was just that...PERFECT!!
“Sometimes, for some people, the fairytale only exists in death.”
www.theromancecover.com
May 6, 2015
OMG WHAT DID I JUST READ??! This review is totally spoiler-free so you will just have to go in to ECHO completely blind. That being said, this is without a doubt one of my top books so far this year. If you have read BANG, you know that things ended quite abruptly. Anything I say here about any of the characters that appeared in BANG might give the plot of ECHO away, so…if you like dark, twisty, psychosexual thrillers, than ECHO should be at the top of your must-read lists. And yes, I was up all night reading this one.
E.K. Blair is an enormously gifted writer and I will read anything this woman writes. I cannot describe what goes on in ECHO other than to say, “READ THIS BOOK!!” You will be thrilled, heartsick, turned on, and excited all at once. Your emotions will run rampant after reading this book. If you thought you knew the characters at all in BANG, trust me, you are wrong.
“Did you know it was possible to have feelings with no emotions? You can, and I’m proof of it.”
Well, that’s about all I can say, folks. I can’t really describe what ECHO is, so please make sure you grab this one as soon as it is released on May 12th. You will be once again immersed in a dark and twisty world of E.K. Blair. And that’s a great place to be.
(ARC provided by the author with thanks.)
E.K. Blair is an enormously gifted writer and I will read anything this woman writes. I cannot describe what goes on in ECHO other than to say, “READ THIS BOOK!!” You will be thrilled, heartsick, turned on, and excited all at once. Your emotions will run rampant after reading this book. If you thought you knew the characters at all in BANG, trust me, you are wrong.
“Did you know it was possible to have feelings with no emotions? You can, and I’m proof of it.”
Well, that’s about all I can say, folks. I can’t really describe what ECHO is, so please make sure you grab this one as soon as it is released on May 12th. You will be once again immersed in a dark and twisty world of E.K. Blair. And that’s a great place to be.
(ARC provided by the author with thanks.)
February 16, 2016
WARNING: This is a non-traditional M/F ROMANCE with a non-traditional ending. If you're under age 18, please think twice and then you read this book.
If you like to read dark / erotica / disturbing stories go ahead read this book, but trust me after you finished it you’ll never be the same person… But take that risk and give a chance this book.
OMG!!! What the fuck just happened. What the hell is going on here? I have too many questions. God Dammit. When the 3rd book will publication? I'm so fucked up right now. :-\
-----------------
"No matter how many reasons there are, I can’t rid myself of the unyielding need to find her. It tugs on the threads that stitch my heart together, the heart that she ripped from my chest and tore apart. And as much as I want to deny it, as much as the thought repulses me, the fact is, the one that destroys is the one that heals. I need her."
"He’s my sadist, and I’m his masochist.
We’re the reflection of each other’s monsters."
“I don’t know what’s going on here . . . what this is between us . . . what this is inside of me.”
“It’s a battle between heart and mind,” I whisper..."
“He’s the one who holds all the power here. He could easily destroy me or make all my dreams come true, but in order for me to find out which, I have to let go of my control, something I’ve never done before. It terrifies me to hand all the parts of me over to him and trust that he’ll take care of them.”
#mindfuck
If you like to read dark / erotica / disturbing stories go ahead read this book, but trust me after you finished it you’ll never be the same person… But take that risk and give a chance this book.
OMG!!! What the fuck just happened. What the hell is going on here? I have too many questions. God Dammit. When the 3rd book will publication? I'm so fucked up right now. :-\
-----------------
"No matter how many reasons there are, I can’t rid myself of the unyielding need to find her. It tugs on the threads that stitch my heart together, the heart that she ripped from my chest and tore apart. And as much as I want to deny it, as much as the thought repulses me, the fact is, the one that destroys is the one that heals. I need her."
"He’s my sadist, and I’m his masochist.
We’re the reflection of each other’s monsters."
“I don’t know what’s going on here . . . what this is between us . . . what this is inside of me.”
“It’s a battle between heart and mind,” I whisper..."
“He’s the one who holds all the power here. He could easily destroy me or make all my dreams come true, but in order for me to find out which, I have to let go of my control, something I’ve never done before. It terrifies me to hand all the parts of me over to him and trust that he’ll take care of them.”
#mindfuck
January 6, 2016
With Echo beginning right where Bang ended, Nina Vanderwal is faced with the consequences of her grand scheme. As such, Nina is forced to come to terms with her childhood and the pain her actions caused. Effectively, Nina strips herself of all the lies and tries to live as Elizabeth Archer. Not knowing where to begin, she starts where her life could have been but her motives shift when she confronts one of her demons. With the impact of losing the men in her life, Elizabeth’s mental status spirals into a depression and she has to struggle to fight the hopelessness. Unfortunately, her choices add to her pain but it is the only way she knows how to exist and to try to regain her strength.
“I thought I was making all the right choices, but as I look back in the wake of my life, it’s filled with nothing but destruction. And now, I’m the only one that remains.”
Parallel to Elizabeth’s plight, the plot continues to thicken with certain truths revealed but this information only serves to complicate the lives of those involved. At this point, we see Elizabeth isn't the only one tortured by her past. What ensues, are events, actions, words that cut like daggers and show just how shattered these characters have become.
“But what happened to me made me believe in evil. And that the devil is real and lives inside the savages of this world.”
The overall mood of this book is somber and emotional, but how can it not be? The emotional state of these characters is integral to the plot whether it represents hopelessness, vengeance, love or lust. In Bang, we met some truly evil and deceitful characters and their transition into Echo remains to be a consistent one. In fact, the digression of the characters is what makes this story so effective and impactful. There are some moments when you cringe and wince, but keep in mind, you are reading about characters pushed beyond their limits. While that isn’t an excuse, it is just the way it is –no sugar coating.
“Don’t worry about me…You didn’t break me. You can’t break something that was already broken.”
For me, I was engrossed in this book as much as Bang. I wish I could say more without divulging spoilerish details, but you just have to experience it. This series is gritty, intelligent, emotional and provocative. The plot twists are intricately weaved and add to the tension. Lastly, the characters are cleverly crafted. I just hope the third book, Hush, is released sooner than later. I highly recommend this series.
Black Lotus series:
*Thanks Javigina for the (F)BR! As always, you made it good and dirty! Lol!!
September 13, 2017
4.5 stars
May 11, 2015
‘I may no longer hear the screaming demons of my past, but they do indeed to continue to scream. It’s a reminder that you’re never truly free.’
Well, well, well E.k. Blair! Behind that happy go lucky giggly face we see on Social Media lurks a very sinister, disturbing and scary alter ego, with a very macabre imagination! Just how your brain works is a bit of a concern because this was one MESSED UP story and Elizabeth is one MESSED UP character!! And we mean that in a very complimentary way!
‘Only ash and embers remain. Echoes and shadows. Darkness and death.’
First off, due to the nature of how Bang concluded, we are going to be purposely vague in our review of Echo. We do not want to spoil any part this book for readers and for that reason we will not delve into the story nor mention any characters names other than Elizabeth.
How did we feel about Echo? Hmmm we really don’t know to be honest. We couldn’t stop reading it we know that much. We were constantly astonished at the talent of this author, of that there is no doubt! We were consumed with conspiracy theories all the way through, and consistently guessing how or what was going on, only to have the author throw another curve ball at us. It was akin to reading whilst performing the Boston Two Step. One step forward, two steps back. For every answer there was a question. However the gripping and addictive emotions we felt in Bang didn’t quite surface as significantly in Echo.
Now that isn’t to say Echo was a let-down, because it certainly wasn’t yet neither was it what we would call an ‘enjoyable read.’ In fact, this installment could, at times, be downright disturbing and exhausting.
“Everybody has secrets, everybody lies, and everybody cheats their way through life for self-fulfilment. We wouldn’t do it if we felt sorry; we do it because it’s our human right to seek happiness.”
We talked for hours after we finished Echo and both of us said there were certain scenes we wish we could ‘unread’ as we found them somewhat grotesque and uncomfortable. There were times we felt sick to our stomachs. Not emotionally sick as we did in Bang, but more uncomfortably sick. As in; certain scenes were just too much.
We’re not squeamish or timid readers by any stretch of the imagination but we found some of the actions of Elizabeth were added more for the sake of a shock factor than emotional depth. We grasped Elizabeth’s fragility and desperation through her internal dialogue, and felt we didn’t need the physical scenes to enforce that. In fact, those scenes had an opposite effect whereby the sympathy we felt for Elizabeth in Bang, somewhat diminished in Echo. We felt her character too extreme, too forced and the occasional softness which accompanied her in Bang was absent in Echo.
‘Sometimes, for some people, the fairytale only exists in death.’
In Bang, the horrifying nature of the events and the story left us emotionally wrought, the actions in Echo left us feeling drained, just drained. It was exhausting being inside Elizabeth’s head and we found it hard going at times. In Bang, the extreme nature of the story and events felt organic and natural in some respect, whereas, in Echo they didn’t on the whole.
‘My body is used up and polluted. It always was and always will be.’
The second part of this story had us riveted and sitting on tenterhooks. It was then we were blown away! As the story progressed and worked towards its crescendo we were left worn out and teetering on a knife edge! All is not as it seems, people are not who they appear to be, lies, treachery, deceit and duplicity abound in this second installment that left our mouths agape and our stomachs in knots! We know one thing for sure…We NEED HUSH and we NEED IT NOW!!! Bloody hell, we felt as if we had run a marathon, only to end up back at the beginning and needing to put ourselves through it all over again in Hush!
**Reviewed from an ARC copy provided by the author, with thanks**
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May 21, 2015
2.5ish Stars
I was excited to read the follow up to E.K Blair.... Bang a story that I did enjoy...
Unfortunately Echo didn't excite me at all for many reasons...
First of all the plot, I can't really explain it, why?
Because I really didn't get it.
I had no idea what was going on......and the more I read the more I was confused.
It was like one of those dreams you have, not sure if its real or not.
I was trying so hard to understand the plot, maybe it took away my enjoyment of the story as a whole, who knows.
Elizabeth/Nina had so many problems and was in need of real help. When is anyone going to help this women?
She is so broken now and a shadow of her former self from the first book.
All the characters I just couldn't connect with and none of them really had any redeeming qualities.
And the twist and turns... I felt kind of...
All in all I felt the plot lacked some depth. Maybe the last in the series will answer all those unanswered questions.
But unfortunately this one didn't work for me....
I was excited to read the follow up to E.K Blair.... Bang a story that I did enjoy...
Unfortunately Echo didn't excite me at all for many reasons...
First of all the plot, I can't really explain it, why?
Because I really didn't get it.
I had no idea what was going on......and the more I read the more I was confused.
It was like one of those dreams you have, not sure if its real or not.
I was trying so hard to understand the plot, maybe it took away my enjoyment of the story as a whole, who knows.
Elizabeth/Nina had so many problems and was in need of real help. When is anyone going to help this women?
She is so broken now and a shadow of her former self from the first book.
All the characters I just couldn't connect with and none of them really had any redeeming qualities.
And the twist and turns... I felt kind of...
All in all I felt the plot lacked some depth. Maybe the last in the series will answer all those unanswered questions.
But unfortunately this one didn't work for me....
April 10, 2016
FULL REVIEW TO COME
SO I cried a river reading this book I was truly broken and that damn ending gawd...I need the next book now... but in the mean time I need some time to write these reviews without breaking down LOL
reading book one and two in anticipation for book three release!! Let's do this...
HOLY DEAL ALERT OMG BOOK ONE IS ON SALE ONLY .99C WAHOO!!!,
AMAZON PURCHASE LINK
http://www.amazon.com/Bang-Black-Lotu...
**Due to the dark and explicit nature of this book, it is recommended for mature audiences only.*
Book order:
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
SO I cried a river reading this book I was truly broken and that damn ending gawd...I need the next book now... but in the mean time I need some time to write these reviews without breaking down LOL
reading book one and two in anticipation for book three release!! Let's do this...
HOLY DEAL ALERT OMG BOOK ONE IS ON SALE ONLY .99C WAHOO!!!,
AMAZON PURCHASE LINK
http://www.amazon.com/Bang-Black-Lotu...
**Due to the dark and explicit nature of this book, it is recommended for mature audiences only.*
Book order:
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
September 8, 2016
Honestly, this story was just flat-out crazy and overly dramatic. And the heroine got on my nerves the entire time.
Elizabeth/Nina was awesome in Bang. But, in Echo, she is utterly broken and unstable - with good reason. I *get* why she is in pain. However, I had a difficult time getting past the crazy and all the whining, which made it hard for me to feel any kind of empathy towards her. There were some parts of the story with Elizabeth that had me rolling my eyes. Her victim roll just didn't 'roll' with me. I honestly just couldn't stand her character this time around.
I also had issues with another character in the book. I will not say the name, because that would be too spoilery. The dark place the author took this character didn't sit right with me. Especially during a particular cringe-worthy scene.
I thought Echo was a lot darker than Bang... I think. It's hard to remember since I read it a year ago. Lately, I've been struggling with stories that have cliffhangers and the next book takes a long time to be released. It makes me lose interest and the intensity I felt when I read the first book. To me, SOME cliffhangers are a disservice to the story. I felt very lost at times while reading Echo. I recommend reading the last two chapters of Bang before starting this book.
Echo is an okay book. I didn't completely hate it but I didn't love it, either. There were times when I was bored with the storyline. The drama was just SO ridiculous. I might continue this series if I hear good things about the last book.
June 23, 2017
I can't believe this! This kind of ending? again?? And there's no release date yet for the next one.... I'll be here waiting like
June 25, 2015
God that was so fucked up and so fucking amazing.
May 22, 2015
I don't think there was any other book I had been anticipating more this year, than Echo. Bang was a book that stuck with me for so long. Maybe due to how dark and disturbing it was, maybe because the characters were so deeply, horrifically flawed. I'm not really sure, but it lingered. To say I was excited to start Echo, would be greatly underappreciating my feelings.
Echo will not be an easy book to review and keep it spoiler free not only for those who have yet to read it, but also those who have yet to read Bang. I'll do my best to convey my feelings without giving away too much of the integral plot.
Nina, or Elizabeth as we've come to know her...is in a tailspin. A hurricane of emotions from losing everything. Not that she ever really had a tight grip on much in life, but now she finds herself utterly alone. Depressed, heartbroken, scared, angry and wasted - she leaves the life she's had with no sense of purpose or direction. Just a longing to be near a dream she never believes she can reach.
The journey ends up bringing her face to face with the past. A past she thought was lost forever. A person she desperately wants forgiveness from. A person dead set on never giving it to her. I can't blame this man for his feelings, I can't blame him for most of his actions. Some are just, some are totally cruel and some make him as equally evil and unforgivable as she is.
I can see how some readers will hate Blair for one scene in particular. It was a bitter pill to swallow. It broke my heart. But most everything in this book broke my heart, so this felt in keeping with the theme. These characters are brutal in their need for revenge and for pain. Yet, they are also beautiful in the way they love unequivocally. Despite everything they do to each other...underneath it all, it's fueled by the love they can't deny for each other. They hate with such passion because they love with it as well.
Echo does not have the same feel that Bang did. It's definitely still very dark. However, it's much less conniving and twisted and so much more mental and emotional. It's not about gaining justice and revenge, it's about healing once you are on the other side of that and facing the monster that revenge turned you into.
I spent more time with tears streaming down my face while reading Echo, than not. That's not a lie. I could not help be shattered by the utter despair this book emoted.
After reading Echo, I realized just how underrated Blair is as an author. Flipping through my notes, I noticed more highlighted quotes in this book than I have had for any book in such a long time. Her words are gorgeous, even when they are completely disturbing. She's an extremely talented writer with a brain that scares the ever loving shit out of me. The places she has taken this story are terrifying and I'd hate to see what inspired her. Whatever it was though, I'm thankful for it. The Black Lotus series has proven to give me more feels than I ever expected.
Echo will not be an easy book to review and keep it spoiler free not only for those who have yet to read it, but also those who have yet to read Bang. I'll do my best to convey my feelings without giving away too much of the integral plot.
Nina, or Elizabeth as we've come to know her...is in a tailspin. A hurricane of emotions from losing everything. Not that she ever really had a tight grip on much in life, but now she finds herself utterly alone. Depressed, heartbroken, scared, angry and wasted - she leaves the life she's had with no sense of purpose or direction. Just a longing to be near a dream she never believes she can reach.
The journey ends up bringing her face to face with the past. A past she thought was lost forever. A person she desperately wants forgiveness from. A person dead set on never giving it to her. I can't blame this man for his feelings, I can't blame him for most of his actions. Some are just, some are totally cruel and some make him as equally evil and unforgivable as she is.
I can see how some readers will hate Blair for one scene in particular. It was a bitter pill to swallow. It broke my heart. But most everything in this book broke my heart, so this felt in keeping with the theme. These characters are brutal in their need for revenge and for pain. Yet, they are also beautiful in the way they love unequivocally. Despite everything they do to each other...underneath it all, it's fueled by the love they can't deny for each other. They hate with such passion because they love with it as well.
Echo does not have the same feel that Bang did. It's definitely still very dark. However, it's much less conniving and twisted and so much more mental and emotional. It's not about gaining justice and revenge, it's about healing once you are on the other side of that and facing the monster that revenge turned you into.
I spent more time with tears streaming down my face while reading Echo, than not. That's not a lie. I could not help be shattered by the utter despair this book emoted.
After reading Echo, I realized just how underrated Blair is as an author. Flipping through my notes, I noticed more highlighted quotes in this book than I have had for any book in such a long time. Her words are gorgeous, even when they are completely disturbing. She's an extremely talented writer with a brain that scares the ever loving shit out of me. The places she has taken this story are terrifying and I'd hate to see what inspired her. Whatever it was though, I'm thankful for it. The Black Lotus series has proven to give me more feels than I ever expected.
dnf
May 26, 2015Admito que el primero ya había sido bastante ridículo (muuuuy tirado de los pelos) pero, aunque hasta a mí me cueste creerlo (y eso que me encantó la primera entrega, ridícula como era) , éste sobrepasa mis límites.
Además de haber resuelto el odioso (aunque atrapante) cliffhanger del libro anterior en un modo totalmente estúpido y desquiciado (incluso mucho más desquiciado que toda la novela anterior), se recurre luego a una trama no sólo asquerosamente violenta, sino que, además, se adapta una idea que niega absolutamente el mensaje honesto que en la novela anterior yo misma había alabado como excelente; es decir, del "odio que no se disfraza de obsesión ´romántica'" se pasa a justificar todos los horrores anteriores, y los nuevos!! (que son mucho peores) con el tono insolente de "te odio pero te amo y te necesito" que degenera el último trazo de coherencia con su premisa que le quedaba a la historia.
Después de leer cierta despreciable escena y su posterior tratamiento (dentro de la trama), tuve que abandonar la lectura. Lo que es una lástima, pues no suelo hacerle asco acasi nada. Todo depende del género. Ya que si bien leí sin mucho problema libros como, no sé...Psicópata Americano (que hasta el día de hoy todavía me revuelve el estómago acordarme de su violencia explícita), los grados de violencia a los que estoy dispuesta a someterme en la lectura siempre depende del contexto. Entonces, en algo que quiere pasar por 'romance', no puedo bancarme horrores del estilo para que después me digan que todo es color de rosa porque "los dos son unos enfermos". Nop, eso está bien para la ficción u otros géneros. Pero en un romance, es bien distinto. (Creo yo, no...? Creo que si fuese otro estilo de escritura, otro autor, otro género, tal vez sería más soportable.)
A medida que leía, se iba poniendo cada vez peor y varias veces, esta fue mi reacción...
Y no creo que vaya a retomarla pronto.
Muy decepcionada.
Además de haber resuelto el odioso (aunque atrapante) cliffhanger del libro anterior en un modo totalmente estúpido y desquiciado (incluso mucho más desquiciado que toda la novela anterior), se recurre luego a una trama no sólo asquerosamente violenta, sino que, además, se adapta una idea que niega absolutamente el mensaje honesto que en la novela anterior yo misma había alabado como excelente; es decir, del "odio que no se disfraza de obsesión ´romántica'" se pasa a justificar todos los horrores anteriores, y los nuevos!! (que son mucho peores) con el tono insolente de "te odio pero te amo y te necesito" que degenera el último trazo de coherencia con su premisa que le quedaba a la historia.
Después de leer cierta despreciable escena y su posterior tratamiento (dentro de la trama), tuve que abandonar la lectura. Lo que es una lástima, pues no suelo hacerle asco a
A medida que leía, se iba poniendo cada vez peor y varias veces, esta fue mi reacción...
Y no creo que vaya a retomarla pronto.
Muy decepcionada.
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