Balthazar (Evernight, #5) (Ellas)

by Claudia Gray

Vampire Balthazar More emerges from his centuries-long isolation to help Skye Tierney, a psychic girl who once attended Evernight Academy, when she catches the attention of the cruel master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries earlier.

• ISBN10: 0062099159
• ISBN13: 9780062099150
• Publish Date: 6 March 2012
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: Collins
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

"Life has power, Skye. It has a ... grace and beauty and vitality that nothing after death can match." (Balthazar More)

Balthazar is one of my favourite characters from the Evernight series and I was extremely excited to read his story.

The title might have Balthazar's name on it, but this book isn't solely about Balthazar. Balthazar has to share a POV with Skye Tierney from Afterlife. After Bianca possessed Skye's body for a few minutes in the previous book, Skye gains psychic abilities. These abilities make her a target for a ruthless vampire group that has ties to Balthazar's past.

WHAT I LIKED...
◤◥ Balthazar finally gets his own story!
◤◥ There are details about Balthazar's past such as his vampire sire, his first love and the reason for his fractured relationship with his sister.
◤◥ Charity becomes a redeemable character.
◤◥ Most of the characters and secondary characters (especially the evil vampires) aren't that stereotypical.
◤◥ A sinister villain.
◤◥ The vampires, ghosts and psychic powers.

WHAT I LOATHED
◤◥ Balthazar's character change. Balthazar's gentleman nature that I adore isn't focused on as much as his toughness and new Lucas-like traits.
◤◥ The cliche plot. Girl get saved by guy who becomes her protector, lusts after said guy who is unattainable and is chased by ruthless vampire groups because of her blood.
◤◥ The romance between Skye and Balthazar didn't develop naturally. It is forced and is probably just there to add to the plot.
◤◥ The focus is more on Skye instead of Balthazar, although Balthazar's name is on the title.
◤◥ The Evernight crew don't have prominent roles nor do they have cameos in Balthazar, with the exception of Bianca and Lucas.
◤◥ The ending has no closure!

Balthazar is a fast-paced and enjoyable read, but the romance and cliche' aspects make it a disappointing read.

[Suz @ Bookish Revelations]

Balthazar is a cleverly written, powerfully suspenseful paranormal spin-off of Claudia Gray's Evernight series, that readers are sure to enjoy. It is an intensely compelling and intriuging novel, with well established characters, wonderful development, and a unique writing style that makes Gray stand apart in her own way. It is chalked full of fast paced action and heart stopping danger, with a few of its own dark twists and turn that will have readers squirming in their seats. There is more than just the the main story arc that this novel has going for it, it's almost as if there is a merging of sorts happening as readers follow along with the story, that links what both Balthazar and Skye are dealing with together in direct relation to it. It elevates it in a sense and Gray does a beautiful job in creating the perfect balance.

Balthazar is such a magnificently developed character and it was nice to get a glimpse of his past. What made it even more interesting, was how he wrestled with who he was and his past, as well. For as much as he is incredibly loyal, honest and caring, he is still just as beautifully torutred, dark, and filled with tumltuous angst. This gives him such amazing depth and edge, while giving readers pesonal insight into who he is by showing them what he's experienced and how he became the deeply conflicted and totured man he is now.

There is so much electric chemistry popping and cracking between Balthazar and Skye that will leave readers breathless. The moments shared between the two are emotionally gripping and beautifully written. The almost kisses will be sure to leave readers pulses racing and have them giddy with anticipation. It is such a gratifying experience that they will want Balthazar to have his happy ending.

There was such a refreshing quality about this story being told that makes it highly enjoyable and Gray does not let readers down, by continuing to keep it this way adding a fresh outlook on things from a human's perspective. Her characters are incredibly strong, filled with amazing tenacity, beautiful character flaws that make some of them more human than they may seem, and a whirlwind of intrigue. This book can be read as a stand alone quite easily and readers don't have to have read the Evernight series. It's filled with such a heightened dark and thrilling intensity that will have readers enthralled until they've turned the last page. The cliffhanger it ends with, will have them pining for the next book to follow. It is that wonderfully written and captivating.