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Blood Kiss (Black Dagger Legacy, #1)
Blood Kiss (Black Dagger Legacy, #1)
J.R. Ward | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I read my first Black Dagger Brotherhood book back in 2010, I think, and fell in love with this group of warriors. I have books 1-12 in paperback and they sit proudly on my bookshelf, as shown below

I guess it's not fair to have favourites but two of them always stick in my head: Rhage and Vishous, though all the guys are memorable. The King, Wrath's second book in the series took me a while to read so I gave up on the series for a while, though I have been buying the rest of the books in this series as Kindle books.
This spin off series - Black Dagger Legacy - is about the original guys finding new recruits who they will train so they can help them take on the lessers and any other threats to their population.

This one follows Paradise, a society heir who wants more from her life than parties so she fills in an application form and hopes her father will give her permission to join the programme and he does, believing she won't make it very far. Paradise proves everyone wrong, though, including Craeg - fellow trainee and the guy she has an intense attraction towards. And the feeling is definitely mutual.

I enjoyed watching this play out, although Craeg's reluctance to start with annoyed me a little. But Paradise certainly wore him down in the end and it was fun watching.

It also focuses on Butch and Marissa's relationship. Both are dealing - or more precisely NOT dealing - with issues from their pasts and it's starting to drive a wedge between them. Then there's the battered female that comes into Safe Place - where Marissa works - on the brink of death that brings up old memories.

I did enjoy seeing a lot of the brothers again, it reminded me why I love this series and I can't wait to read more. I think The Shadows will be my next read.
  
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Graham Massey recommended Low by David Bowie in Music (curated)

 
Low by David Bowie
Low by David Bowie
1977 | Rock
9.3 (4 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"Bowie was so important when we were growing up in terms of the way he chose different directions and that that was an acceptable thing to be doing. You'd just be getting into one thing and then he'd turn into the Thin White Duke or something and he'd invite you to twist your head around that. And when Low came out it was like, ""Whoah!"" because it was a complete head twister in terms of how the record sounded, and how Bowie removed himself from the music because there's hardly any upfront Bowie on it. I've always liked instrumental stuff – things like The Shadows and The Tornados' 'Telstar' and those kinds of things – and it's reflected in the music of 808 State, which draws from that kind of thing where melody is the central thing. But the instrumentals on Low almost sound like backing tracks and that's quite confusing. And it was beatless, and that took you to another place. Plus, it was also the record when I first fell in love. There's that theory of your first love record, where it soundtracks your summer and Low is that record. That kind of music and that hormonal rush creates a kind of nostalgia that's deeper than other records. The fact that Brian Eno is on it, when I first started making music, gave me a bit of elbow-room. With the musicians around now, there's a lot of technique, but technique isn't the key to everything. This idea of being a non-musician and using noise as your instrument defined me quite early on; the School of Eno was in me! Even though it was recorded in 1976 and released in 1977, in some ways this is the first post-punk record. This certainly coalesces with PiL's first album, and it they both gave rise to the notion that not everything proggy should be thrown out with the bathwater."

Source
  
Batman: Detective Comics, Volume 6: Fall of the Batmen
Batman: Detective Comics, Volume 6: Fall of the Batmen
James Tynion IV | 2018 | Comics & Graphic Novels, Crime, Mystery
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b>OMG!</b> Seriously?!? <i>* one more time *</i> <b>OMG!</b> That volume's ending was off the ever-lovin' Feels scale! I knew it was coming (Yaay! Browsin' on the interwebs!), but still, the death of [Spoiler] packed a lot of emotion as well as distaste towards [Spoiler - Part Deux] for not following B-Man's direction or that of the team as a whole!

And, I would like to correct my statement in the other two reviews, that this was the final book of Tynion's 'TEC run. There is, in fact, one last volume, VOL. 8: BATMAN ETERNAL, which I bought digitally the night before, and I will be tackling that one tonight in what has been a great ride, full of fun and excitement, helping to remind that Batman is still cool (despite all of Tom King's efforts)!

In my reviews, I always try to acknowledge the artist(s), whether good or not so good. In this case, there were two Joe Bennett (did the first couple of the arc), followed by Miguel Mendonça, winding down with Jesus Merina (he was on the finale issue of "Fall of the Batmen"), and finishing up with Philippe Briones (handled the epilogue issue, "Knights Fall"). Oh, and Eddy Barrows worked on the last book in this volume, DETECTIVE ANNUAL #2, which I skimmed over, as it was a retread of Clayface's origin/beginnings. But, yeah, those artists were on fire! Such grand attention to detail, facial expressions, and brilliant use of shadows! They are all names I will be keeping an eye out for going forward!

All in all, this was a truly memorable, and emotional, story arc. It was another winner for James Tynion IV, but come on, they were all winning arcs, as far as I'm concerned! And that, my loyal readers (are there really that many who genuinely follow my reviews? I dunno, but I am still going to go that phrasing), is that! Peace!
  
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