I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Crave
by
J.R. Ward
urban fantasy in Paperback edition on October 5, 2010 and has 454 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Dark Lover, Lover Eternal, Lover Awakened, Covet, Lover Revealed, Lover Unbound, Lover Enshrined, Lover Avenged, Lover Mine, Lover Unleashed, Envy, An Irresistible Bachelor, Leaping Hearts, His Comfort and Joy, Lover Reborn, Rapture, Lover at Last, Possession, The King, The Shadows, The Bourbon Kings, Blood Kiss, The Beast, Blood Vow, The Chosen, Blood Fury, “Dearest Ivie”, The Thief, "The Reception", "The Rehearsal Dinner", Consumed, The Savior, Blood Truth, Where Winter Finds You, The Sinner, A Warm Heart in Winter, Claimed, The Wolf
Second in the Fallen Angels urban fantasy series based in upper state New York and set, in this book, in Boston, Massachusetts.
My Take
As interesting and enjoyable as I found Crave, I didn’t get that sense of craving the title implies or the intensity of the first novel in the series. It is useful that both sides have a stroke in the win column else there wouldn’t be even that bit of tension. I was curious as to whether Isaac would be joining the Merry Men…
The Story
On a wave of victory from his triumph in winning a soul for the good guys in Covet, 1, Jim, Adrian, and Eddie set up a spell to ensnare Matthias using Jim’s body before they fly to Boston to find an ex-XOps comrade under sentence of death…from Matthias.
The trio is dismayed to find Isaac in jail…a much too obvious target for XOps agents with too many complications: Matthias’ second-in-command has also found him and Isaac will not be separated from his lady lawyer torn between his intense attraction to her, his need to pay her back, and an overpowering need to protect her.
Jim is positive that Isaac is his next target — he must save Isaac’s soul or lose it to Devina, a demon in enticing guise.
The Characters
Isaac is stupidly using his own name to engage in underground fighting making it too easy for the agency to find him. When he’s arrested, his pro bono counsel turns out to be Grier Childe, a lady in every sense of the word and the daughter of another member of XOps. A tool Matthias will use to keep her father in line.
We learn more about what troubles Adrian as well as the sexual acts he will engage in to ward those troubles off — a ménage seems to be his choice with Eddie as partner.
Eddie is mostly there while we learn a great deal more about Matthias, Jim’s “current” boss and a supposed sociopath.
More of Devina‘s activities come to light when she kidnaps Jim for her version of a night of sexual delight. The only positives Jim takes from it is an identification as well as his own realization about his limitations.
The Cover
Gorgeous cover…I love that spreadeagled stance as he looks to the side with the impression of wings tattooed to his bare back. I’m assuming the man depicted is meant to be Jim…in which case, where’s Jim’s Grim Reaper?? I know it’s not Isaac as he has the same Grim Reaper tattooed over his back. Eddie is too big and Adrian has too many piercings…
