Book Review – Bang by E.K. Blair

Bang (Black Lotus #1) (The Black Lotus Series)
<— Oh boy. That? Yeah… wow. That was one of the craziest crazy-train book rides I’ve ever been on. Highly recommended to me by one of my favorite authors, I put it on my latest TBR list, knowing this one was up very soon and I ended up starting it on my weekend “pontoon boat” ride ’cause everyone was scalloping and I… don’t really do that. LOL!

But I had my iPad, and while I *did* have two brand spanking new books that I was about to squirrel over, they weren’t loaded in my app yet, and there was NO signal where I was. But lo and behold, I HAD loaded “Bang”. YAY!!! Totally all over that and obviously meant to be! I wanted to read it, so what better time than now? And OMG what a jolt this one gave me.

Fabi: Has anyone read Bang by E.K. Blair? It sounds unapologetically dark and twisted.

Grey: …so far it’s giving me those dark & twisty feels (a la Pepper Winters and Aleatha Romig)

Maryse: Fabi… YES. OMG this one is SO twisted. Even almost too much for me… I was horrified.

bev: Bang has a very hard scene to read.

Maryse: Make that… many.

liz: i just finished Bang the black lotus book #1by E.K. Blair, this book was freaking awesome!!!! it was an emotional book and of course it ends with a cliff hanger. i cant wait for the second book. it had romance, extreme tragedies. vengeance, heart breaks, and definitely wild sex

rori: Bang is like the show Revenge.. I’m 69% into it and I’ve bitten off all my nails. Really phenomenal book!

Donna: I just finished Bang – wow! Crazzzzy train! Note: cliffhanger.

I was into it from the start. Amazing writing, sweet and heartfelt for just a few minutes… lulling me in to cozy happiness and then I was plunged into absolute darkness and trauma and I struggled with her traumatic childhood BIG TIME. Like… sick to my stomach kind of struggle. Cringed in horror and hurt with her… over and over again. It’s kind of hard to explain my “angry-shock-and-appalled” face to my fellow boater friends (’cause I’m not about to tell ’em what scene I just read), but they figured it out when I grunted at ’em that I was reading and ANGRY. 

And from past to present, we live through Elizabeth’s (aka Nina’s) eyes. From a tragic, horrific, nightmare-HELL of a childhood,  to a life of luxury and absolute adoration (or so it seems…) in her adulthood,

He’s a loving husband, always has been. Firm in his business, but so very gentle with me, as if I’m breakable. Maybe I used to be, but not anymore. I’m as strong as they come. Weakness derives from the soul. Most everyone has one, which gives a woman like me leverage. Leverage to play people to my liking, and so I do.

… the reader is shuffled to and fro. Relief yet mysterious-confusion (in what seems to be a wonderful life) … back to hell again.

‘Cause you see… Nina has a plan.

“I’m not giving up,” I say. “I need you to know that. I’ll do whatever it takes to get us that new beginning.”

What it is exactly… we aren’t sure for a VERY long time in this story, but once things start coming together? All hell breaks loose again, and Nina just might be the demon in charge. Or is she?

WOW. My friends… WOW. It was too over-the-top for my comfort level in regards to the flashbacks (I can’t stomach abuse of any kind, but this? I can’t even…). This was hell on earth for this little sweet girl, and her protective foster brother. Worse than hell. I just… can’t.

But no fretting needed. Elizabeth has changed her name to Nina, determined to follow through with a very specific goal and just… OMG.

I’ve been sleeping with my husband for years, but I refuse to allow the pleasure I lead him to believe I’m experiencing.

Why?

I’ll tell you why.

Because I hate him.

 *gasp*!!!

Did I love it? Well… I’m going to say that I read it with fervor, even though the whole first half, I couldn’t tell you if I was enjoying it or not. I was dying to know what the secrets were, what the plan was and WHY… and I was dying to know where it was going, but did I like it? Only in the second half. Weird right? Oh don’t get me wrong. It was action packed, intense and pure insanity from the start, but I’m gonna admit… almost to the very end… I wasn’t sure who I was rooting for. Maybe not even her.

Yep. It’s one of those reads. And then I finally *did* know who I was rooting for but… well… I gotta wait for the next installment for relief.

*hrmph*!!!!!!!!!!! But I love that. I do. Cliffhanger? Yes… pretty much. And I don’t even care, ’cause I needed a freaking break from this story by the time i got to the end. And when book #2 comes out, I’ll be ready to dive back in.

Oh wait. Oh NO!!!!! Book #2 just came out a few weeks ago? *gasp* Am I ready? Am I ready to go back on the crazy train? OMG YES!!!! —->

Oh right… what’s book #1 (this one) about?

Elizabeth has been living a sweet life with a kind and loving father, only to be ripped from his arms as he’s taken away to prison. Thrown into the foster system, she goes from sad… to bad… to worse. And then she lands in hell. Yes. HELL. But this is the one place that she meets her guardian angel, Pike. Another foster child that is suffering close to the same abuse. And he stays with her and comforts her through all of hers.

They become best friends, family, and more, and never leave each other’s side, no matter the circumstances. And as adults, each of them live very different lives (she marries a wealthy man),

The stoic good wife. My husband, the beacon of my admiration, or so it seems.

…and Pike continues his life on the wrong side of the tracks. But they are bonded. And I’ll leave you there in regards to… them.

And at times, you’ll want to be sick. You’ll want to stop reading. My response to getting through hell with her? I skimmed the really bad stuff. I had to. I kind of wish I didn’t have to read it. Did it provide more to the story, or break it, for me? I dunno. I was VERY upset. Alas, it was there and I wanted her to survive. No. I wanted her to win it all… to take it all. And as I was taken on her entire journey, I noticed that the abuse… it NEVER ends (but I’m not going to say it is caused by the typical “abusers” in these dark romances). Again… something for the reader to determine and discover.

No matter the luxury, no matter her absolute control of her life now, no matter the plan… I struggled. I guessed. I huffed and I puffed. Who’s the bad guy/girl, now? Who exactly is in control now? And who will lose their soul in the process?

He taught me, at an early age, how to live without emotions. How to wrap that steel cage around my heart, always telling me that no one can ever hurt you if you can’t feel. So I don’t. Outside of Pike, there’s no one I’ll give that to because emotions are what make people weak. And I can’t afford to make that slip. The heart is a weapon— a self-inflicting weapon— that if not trained properly, can destroy a person.

And by the end, I was FREAKING OUT!!!! Echo (Black Lotus #2) huh?  *gulp* Okay… I didn’t realize I could jump right back in so quickly. 😉

But this one?

4 stars!!!

P.S. I TOTALLY get a kick out of that title. You’ll find out why if you read it. 😉

P.P.S. I didn’t quite get or understand her reasoning for her plan. Okay, no. Yes… I “got” it, but it wasn’t enough for me (although the rest of the story and progression sure was). It was one of my “weak-spots” in the story line. But I’m thinking her perception of certain events was a stepping stone in the story leading us to her evolution. Or… devolution? You’ll see.