Cover Image: Wrath of the Goddess

Wrath of the Goddess

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Member Reviews

I wasn't quite connecting with this one and I had to DNF with the possibility of picking up in the future. Thank you for the opportunity to read the book and I apologize for the inconvenience.

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I am a Lauren Dane fan and have read several of her series, but this was one I was not familiar with (not sure how it slipped by me!). That being said this book was good, but I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read the previous ones. It was confusing as to who the characters were and how they related to one another in some ways. Since I was so confused, I have gone back and started reading the series from the first, which has helped clear up some of my questions. I would recommend this book, but would suggest starting at the beginning of the series to get a broader view of the characters and how they fit into the story.
Thanks to netgally andt he publisher for an advanced copy of this book for an honest opinion.

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This is the fifth book in the goddess series. Rowan Summerwaite is a Hunter with the goddess of Brigid within her. Magic has been used to kill her human friend’s. Follow Rowan and her husband vampire Clive as they chase down the web of killers. Is something more sinister going on at higher levels. The story gives good hints to past characters and battles if this is your first delve into the series. There is plenty of battles along the way to keep the excitement high.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Decent series. Interesting concept. But in the immortal words of Elvis, a little less conversation and a little more action, please. I was waiting on the wrath. I was looking forward to the wrath. I was like this Goddess gonna serve up an extra serving of vengeance. Drop this hammer. Cry havoc and let loose those dogs of war. It took too long to get to it. It went to fast when it got there. Needed more wrath.

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I was so excited for this book. I've missed this series in the four years since At Blade's Edge came out. I love a kick-ass protagonist, but what I adore even more is if their partner is equally strong. That's why I love the dynamics between Rowan and Clive. They remind me of my favorite romantic couple in Eve and Roarke from the In Death series by J.D. Robb.

Having said that, I'm giving Wrath of the Goddess 3.5 stars. The inciting incident right from the start of the book was shocking and set high expectations for the adventures ahead. However, the resolution left me wanting.

I wanted less of Genevieve. She kind of took over and lessened Rowan and Clive's powers. Rowan's two near-death experiences didn't give me the sense of true danger because Genevieve was there to save her. I wanted more of Brigid instead. She should be the one saving Rowan. She was the goddess, after all.

I wanted a better villain than Lyr. Enyo was an incredible antagonist. The fact that Enyo created Lyr made him weak in my estimation.

I wanted more of the romance between Clive and Rowan. I like them taking care of each other and sniping and bantering. More of that, please.

Overall, I'm happy to have the series back. Hoping for more Theo in the next book.

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I feel as if I’m in a pre-existing relationship with this book that I need to disclose – even though I only just finished it. I know that sounds a bit (possibly more than a bit) odd.

You see, the first book in this series, Goddess With a Blade, was one of the first books I ever got from NetGalley, eight long years ago. I still remember sitting down at my kitchen table to read it, and finished it in one sitting. (To be fair, it’s only 200 pages, for me that’s not a long book.) Goddess With a Blade was also one of my picks for “Best Ebook Romance” of 2011 in Library Journal.

A couple of years later, after we’d moved to Seattle – and after Blade to the Keep was published – I was riding the bus home from work and saw an ad for Goddess and Keep on the side of a city bus, and as it flashed by I realized that I was being quoted on the side of the bus! It was one of those total “squee” moments.

I mean, I was a fan of the series before – but WOW!

I do love this series. Very Much. And I would even without the side-of-the-bus squeeing.

But it’s been FOUR very long YEARS since the previous book in this series, At Blade’s Edge. A book that left series readers hanging over the edge of a nasty and brutally epic cliffhanger. A cliffy that feels like it has only just begun to be resolved by the end of Wrath of the Goddess.

That Goddess is plenty wrathful – and she has every right to be.

Wrath of the Goddess begins where At Blade’s Edge left us hanging – with Rowan Summerwaite, vessel of the Goddess Brigid, in Europe for her wedding to the Vampire Scion of North America, Clive Stewart. One of her friends back home in Las Vegas is sending her congratulations, live over the Internet, when seriously evil dudes break into her headquarters and kill the man – on camera – then taunt her with the information that they are coming for everyone she loves.

From that gruesome point, the story is off to the races. Rowan, with a little help from her friends and a lot of help from Clive, rushes home to Vegas to investigate the death of one of her family-of-choice – as well as the disappearance of another.

Only to discover that both her own organization, Hunter Corp., and Clive’s, the Vampire Nation, still have traitors at the very top who have betrayed them both to some nefarious someone who is out for his – or her – own evil ends.

It’s up to Rowan – and her Goddess – to stop them. Again. Because the evil that Rowan has battled before is a multi-headed beast and it’s her duty to lop off all the heads. In order to save her friends, her family, and perhaps humanity itself.

Escape Rating A-: I loved this, and found it a great read from beginning to end. But, and at this point it gets to be a bigger “but” all the time, this is no place to start this series. (Also not the end of this series, but I’ll get to that in a minute.)

The world created in this series has become intensely convoluted. There’s Rowan, and her Goddess. There’s the Vampire Nation, to which Rowan has multiple ties, and not just her new husband. Rowan’s foster-father Theo is “The First” of the Vampire Nation, the oldest, the most dangerous, and the most ruthless of them all. And he’s the one in charge.

Rowan works for Hunter Corp., an organization that defends humans without magic or paranormal abilities. That defense is wrapped around a Treaty between the Hunters and the Vampires. Preservation of that treaty is a big part of Rowan’s job. In spite of the number of times that Hunter Corp has misused and betrayed her. Repeatedly and often.

There are also witches – one of whom plays a big part in Wrath of the Goddess, and other paranormal beings. It’s a big world, as big as our own non-magical world, and it has layers within layers – layers that a newbie coming into the series at this point will probably drown in.

If this all sounds fascinating, start back at the beginning with Goddess With a Blade, because this is a series that is building on each book – they don’t stand alone.

If this is your jam, and you get to this point, this particular entry in the series adds more of those layers, both in the form of the witch who joins with Rowan and in the sense of Rowan’s character development.

Readers who are also fans of J.D. Robb’s In Death series will find a lot of similarities between Rowan Summerwaite and Eve Dallas. Both are blunt to the point of rudeness, have little patience with fools or bureaucrats, and hide their soft gooey centers under layers and layers (and layers) of epic snarkitude.

Back to Wrath of the Goddess – before she gets more wrathful. In spite of Rowan’s extreme distaste for bureaucracy, there’s a lot of, not exactly bureaucracy, but certainly a lot of “hurry up and wait” in this one. It makes sense for the story, as a huge piece of it necessarily follows the investigation into the murder that Rowan and Clive witnessed online.

That investigation turns out to be much bigger than merely “whodunnit” as Rowan discovers that someone staked out her headquarters for weeks before the hit, and timed it “just so”, to make it perfectly devastating for Rowan.

So there’s lots of magical forensics in this one, and lots of unraveling layers and unspooling of possibilities of suspects and traitors on all three sides – Hunter Corp, the Vampire Nation and the witches’ Senate, because there are traitors in the (high) ranks of all three.

In the end, there’s plenty of kickass action for everyone – along with the heartbreaking realization that the rot that Rowan thought she weeded out in At Blade’s Edge has already spread farther than she wanted to believe.

Her job is not over, and neither is this series. Book 6, Blood and Blade is scheduled for release in December. I have ALL my fingers crossed that we really won’t have to wait longer than that to see what happens next!

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Vampires and witches oh my. This story is about Clive and Rowan. After getting married a dark evil intrudes into their life and kills one of Rowan’s staff. It’s better to read the books in order but you don’t have to. Clive is a protective Vampire that is enough man to handle his Rowan and all the trouble that comes. Did I mention there is a goddess in there to. Hmmmm! This book received 5 stars from me because it was entertaining, and I wanted to see who won in the end. Not to mention the Goddess! Guess you will have to read to see how she fits in!

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I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest!
This was a great book !
Rowan is back and ready to exact justice
They already killed one of her friends.
Who is going to be next ?
They picked the wrong slayer to mess with.
Read the next chapter in Rowan Summerwaite saga.
Loved the characters + the storytelling !
It has all the ingredients that you need for a great book!
I can't wait for the next book in this series.

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The fond memories of her wedding day are swept aside by the brutal murder of one her dearest friends and Rowan Summerwaite heads back to Las Vegas to track down those responsible. She finds a multilayered conspiracy involving multiple groups of paranormals that sets Roan on the hunt with her wrath burning from within like holy fire.

This urban fantasy just keeping better and grittier with lots blood and mayhem throughout this pulse pounding read. Rowan and Clive’s wedding was interrupted violence as enemies set off a conspiracy that has them racing home to Las Vegas. Their relationship is growing stronger as they prove, along with their allies that they are stronger together and their enemies don’t stand a chance.

Rowan is full of wrath and she is ready to kick some booty as her and her friends track down the bad guys in this fast paced plot full of adrenaline pumping excitement, explosive action and non-stop suspense. Readers remained glued to the pages as the investigation shows Rowan that she is facing a complex conspiracy involving multiple paranormals and leading to an ancient and powerful menace behind it. Unexpected twists keeps these strong, bold characters as well as the readers on their toes throughout all the exhilarating and impressive magical battles while snarky wit and the heroine’s unique brand of affections adds spice to this riveting and explosive urban fantasy.

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There are many exciting moments in this chapter of Rowan's story with a host of new characters that we will doubtless see in the future. The action has shifted from Europe to North America, both Rowan and Clive's home turf. With their action packed agenda, Rowan and Clive have to set up domestic arrangements as well. Quite a revelation! This is one series that must be read in order. The previous book concluded in the horrific murder of Rowan's long time associate in the midst of her marriage to Clive. Burning with vengeance and emotionally over wrought at her inability to keep one of her protected safe Rowan hits the trail right away. Given that both she and Clive are back on their respective home turf they also have to sort through their relationship mores.
Since it seems a lot of dark magic is at play and Rowan's friends continue to be targeted its a good thing that Rowan has connections with the bluest of blue blood witches. As Rowan, Clive and friends go on the hunt it comes down to the one common denominator from all the earlier books.
The story comes to an abrupt end almost as though Ms. Dane was compelled to bring it to a finish because her word count was exhausted. Overall I felt that this is a filler book that the author wrote to appease her fans who were clamoring for a chapter in Rowan's story. Never the less I will look forward to the next book to see what comes next.

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It was wonderful to get back to these characters after so long. The storyline was exciting, dramatic and rich with emotion. Rowan is as always, large, incharge and acerbic. Clive is still dark, deadly and impossibly swoon worthy. Together, they are a great couple that is easy to root for and feel a strong connection to. I highly recommend starting this series from book one. Otherwise, I think you will feel lost. I would also advise the same for readers that have read this series before. It has been quite awhile since the last book. So a refresher will increase your enjoyment.

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Wrath of the Goddess is the fifth, and long awaited book in Lauren Dane’s Goddess of the Blade Series. This book picks up at the wedding reception of Rowan Summerwaite and Clive, the Vampire Scion of North America. Their wedding day should have been filled with joy and happiness, but instead is was shattered by the brutal death of Rowan’s protected friend and servant. As they work together to solve the murder, they discover all is not what it seems. There is something out there hell bent on destroying Rowan and Clive’s happily ever after. Old friends, new friends, witches, vampires and enemies must join together to stop the unknown evil that’s growing in strength. Will they survive the coming battle? Read it and find out.
I have read and loved all of Dane’s books and this book did not disappoint. This is another great instalment to the Goddess of the Blades series. It has a great balance between love, humour and suspense that kept me from putting the book down until I was finished. I love Rowan, the heroine. She has an amazing strong personality and despite all that is expected of her, she works to help others and keep those she loves safe. Clive is the perfect mate for Rowan. They balance each others’ strengths and smooth each others sharp edges. Together, they share a love that knows no bounds. I can’t to read the next book in the series. Hopefully, it won’t be years before it’s written and released.
I received an ebook copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

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I like Lauren Dane's books and this one is no exception, however I would recommend reading the previous four books before reading this one. I was just a bit confuse when started reading because I haven't read most of the books and events from those books are referenced.

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It had been awhile since I read the previous books in this Goddess with a Blade series so it took me some time to get into this book. Rowan and Clive's relationship is stronger than ever and is the best part of this story. The losses Rowan has to deal with are personal and horrific and her need for justice and vengeance is powerful. Clive is a wonderful strong stabilizing partner who is perfect for Rowan. Enjoyable paranormal romance.

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An enjoyable read, but it didn’t wow me, just felt a bit unfulfilled after it. Like you had an ok meal but we’re still hungry. It was entertaining enough it just seemed to lack something I couldn’t put my finger on.

Good but not great.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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I love this series, and Wrath of the Goddess was an excellent addition to it. But it wasn’t without it’s problems. The most significant being that it was years since the last installment. When I started the book I remembered the general characters, but that was it. I remembered absolutely nothing from the previous book, and while yes the beginning briefly goes over the ending of the last book, it wasn’t enough. I didn’t remember The who, what, when, where, and why. I kept hoping that I would get even a 2 sentence paragraph as a reminder of what had happened previously, or even about the general world, but almost every single time it didn’t happen. So I spent a good portion of the story feeling a little bit lost.

Other than that, the story was amazing. I love Rowan and Clive. They are one of my favorite couples, and this book reminded me of that. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

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A good read though not the best book in this five book series from a long time favorite author. And glad of an excuse to re-read the first four books.

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Starting at book 5 in a sires is never a good idea and I knew that when I requested Wrath of the Goddess. Lauren Dane is able to bring reads up to date quickly and while I was lost it has nothing to do with the book or the authors ability to bring a wonderful story and cast of characters to life. It has everything to do with a reader starting out of order.

Paranormal Romance isn't something I read often but when I read about a author who not only creates memorable characters as well as a balanced story of romance, action, emotions. I couldn't help but grab a copy the second I found one on Netgalley.

The story is fast paced, readers will connect with the passion Rowan has to protect those she loves. The author creates a world where once again Vampires, Hunters and more are all trying to find a way to have peace. Rowan carries the weight of the world on her shoulders and readers are able to feel her pain, strength and passions.

I plan to buy books 1-4 so I can really enjoy this series and everything to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Lauren Dane Wrath of the Goddess



(PS forgive me for errors in spelling and grammar my kids are home for the summer and live next to me talking my ear off. NO matter where I hide to write reviews they always find me.)

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I sort of liked this and sort of didn't. What I mean by that is that it's technically a great story. It has all the necessary parts: like a machine that produces a sell-able product that meets reader expectations. However ... it lacked the oomph that makes something truly special. If you read this, you'll be satisfied. Sort of like drinking alcohol and enjoying the buzz while it lasts, unknowing and/or uncaring of all the empty calories that you just consumed. That make sense? This story is well written, well actualized, and well worth your money. But ... is it truly remarkable? *shrugs* That's something you'll have to decide for yourself.

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It's the first one I read in this series and I'm very happy I requested it because it was a great discovery.
I liked the world building, the well written characters and the style of writing.
This is an engaging and entertaining book, a page turner that you cannot put down.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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