
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #6
Published by Signet on June 3rd 2008
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 561
Goodreads

Not As Good As The Others
THE STORY: Vampire Warrior Phury is part of the Black Dagger Brotherhood fighting against the soulless humans who are trying to exterminate the vampires. Phury has been haunted by the abduction of his twin brother. Although he rescued his brother, Phury is tormented by his own perceived failures. He has a hero complex and sacrifices himself for others to his own detriment. In order to cope with his self-loathing, Phury has a drug addiction that threatens his standing with the Brotherhood and his life. Phury sacrificed his future to become the father of a new generation of vampires by mating with dozens of the Chosen. His first mate is Cormia. Cormia did not want to participate in the mating but knew that she had to. Cormia is a free thinker and not very good at the role of a Chosen. When she meets Phury, she begins to find herself and realizes that she wants him for herself. But they both have obligations.
OPINION: The Black Dagger Brotherhood books have always had multiple points of view and stories occurring at the same time. Unfortunately, however, this book just has too much in it. There are too many stories — none of which get a sufficient amount of time to make the book worthwhile. The series has become a serial and each individual book is less satisfying as a result. I still love the characters and I enjoy the relationships between the brothers especially, but I miss the strong central romance that drove the storyline of the prior books. Phury and Cormia are okay together but I don’t get the overwhelming passion between them that exist for the other Brotherhood couples. I am not a fan of stories where addicts immediately engage in a relationship. I think Phury’s story would have been better for me if he had gotten clean before becoming so involved in Cormia. Cormia at the same time is discovering who she is. For me, that makes the romance not as compelling because these two are struggling to discovery who they are.
WORTH MENTIONING: I really did love the tough love that the brothers give to Phury and I especially love the scene of their reconciliation at the end.
FINAL DECISION: I liked this book for the information it added to the Black Dagger Brotherhood world but felt that this was the weakest romance.
CONNECTED BOOKS: LOVER ENSHRINED is the sixth book of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. At this point, the story is pretty incomprehensible without reading the prior books of the series.
STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.