Genre: Paranormal
Book 1 in the Midnight series (anthology)
ISBN: 9780515132762
Releasedate: August 2006
Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc.
Format owned: MPB
For sale at: The Book Depository Store

Synopsis
Luisa's Desire tells of a child of midnight who has arrived at a spiritual refuge in Tibet. Far from her normal immortal life, Luisa is surrounded by simplicity and self-denial. Here, she hopes to expunge her dangerous desires. But when she meets the monk who can save her, Luisa realizes she's only beginning to understand what desire is.

REVIEW
What a refreshing way of story-telling. After all the paranormal/vampire series I read off late I was longing for some pure romance (nearly longing for a jolt of decent romance of regency!!!) This story takes you into the realm of Umpyr's (immortals quite like vampires).

Emma Holly writes in a Brittish sort like English and in a way that slowly get you in the whole Dalai Llama-Tibetan scenery. Despite the immortality of Luisa - the Umpyr -, I also felt the sublimely described tranquility of the Tibetan monks. The love Luisa and Martin experience is on such deep spiritual level and also in tune with the spiritual influence in my own life that I nearly purred with pleasure while reading this story!

Eventhough the story was an anthology, it didn't come across as such. To me it was more like a shorter novel. This was not a story with heavy battles or great tormented souls that needed rescueing, but for me it was a nice change of paste.

I can't wait to start on the other novels I have, written by this author, on my still-to-read shelf.

4,5 Stars

JR Ward – Lover Awakened

Genre: Paranormal
Book 3 in the Blackdagger Brotherhood
ISBN: 0-451-21936-8
Releasedate: September 2006
Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc.
Format owned: HC Rhapsody & MPB
For sale at: The Book Depository Store

Synopsis
Even within the vampire brotherhood, Zsadist is feared. Still bearing the scars from a tortured past, he is renowned for his unquenchable fury. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion-until he rescues a beautiful female from the evil Lessening Society.

REVIEW
After reading Rhage's "love-story" in lover eternal, I knew this was very hard to top as for me everything in it was absolutely perfect. I took a few days apart to give this book the full chance it deserved and it was a good descision to do so, because though the love story between Zsadist and Bella was near to perfect as well, it didn't embrace my heart as the previous book did.

Ofcourse I had a near-paper-tissue moment but it wasn't quite the 'balling my eyes out - can't stop crying'-thing. But I did have my moments though. What absolutely struck my heart was the thing going on between Phury and Zsadist as twins! In this book it wasn't the 'lovers'-part that got me hooked and reading along every free moment of my spare time, but everything that happened around it.

I had such a great laugh when Bella got into her needing-period and all the warriors were struck with a 'hard-on' at the breakfast table. The whole day I kept seeing that picture in my mind; "note to self - don't read these books when you just woke up with a busy day ahead of you!!! "

Ofcourse the whole Tohrment-Wellsie-John-Sarella scene left me heartbroken and hurting for their grief. Such intensely written that I could literally see Tohrment crushed with grief and his tearing heart taring the whole centre apart!!!!

What I find JR Ward can do like no-one else is create such an intense environment, and describe the emotions going around so perfectly that you can taste/feel exactly how the personages go through them! This series makes me nearly long for this Brotherhood to be real! Because this world will be so much better with Warriors like these walking around - if only for the looks eyh girls!?!

I long to know more about the bond between Phury and Zsadist but I know if Phury's story is coming more will be revealed. I keep saying Vishous is my guy though. There's just something about him that gives me butterflies everytime he enters "the scene".

This book closes with so many things still open that my longing mind is trying to figure out what will happen next. Some may say the open ends are not the "correct"-ending to a book, but I find it refreshingly new and excitingly thrilling. I can't waith to start in Butch's story. Not only to see if Butch and Marissa will end up together and to know what is going to happen when Vishous gave Butch the 'wine" to drink, but also to see what is going on with the others. What will happen with John? How will things continue within the Brotherhood now that Tohr..... And whao, what's up with Rehvenge en the Reverend???? I just love it that there's no real ending to each book, it leaves a lot up for discussion and speculation - probably only to find a complete new vision on things once the next book is out!!!!!!

4,5 Stars