Dark Lover
(Black Dagger Brotherhood #1)
(Black Dagger Brotherhood #1)
By J. R. Ward
Okaaaay! I’ve started The Black
Dagger Brotherhood series. I’m still “jonesin” for Acheron, but
I’m ready to meet a new bad boy I can obsess over. Maybe he will be as
enigmatic and compelling as my Acheron. BDB is a highly recommended PNR series,
featuring alpha male warriors. Hey! Sounds promising!
The Black Dagger Brotherhood is the warrior class of
vampires; held in high esteem, these fierce, ruthless warriors defend their
race against their enemy, namely the Lessening Society. Similar to the popular
vampire myth, the brother warriors possess fangs, are nocturnal, and need blood
to survive. The purer the blood (from other vampires), the stronger they
become, thus they don’t feed from humans (most of the time). These special bred
warriors are fearless combatants; they possess immense strength, mystical
powers, and keen intelligence.
Dark Lover tells
Wrath’s story…
Wrath is the leader of the brotherhood, and by birthright
king of the vampire race. However, Wrath refuses to ascend the throne,
dismisses the responsibility of being king, and fiercely battles alongside his
brothers. Yet, the brothers defer to Wrath, giving him the proper respect and
reverence that he warrants. Wrath’s word is law; categorically, without
question, the brothers must follow his orders and commands.
Dark Lover begins
with the murder of Darius, a well-respected brother warrior. Before his death,
Darius makes a dire request of Wrath. He needs Wrath, a pure bred vampire, to
avail his daughter, Beth of his blood and assist her through the “transition”,
the change that will transform her into a mature, fully developed vampire. In all probability, Wrath’s blood will
ensure that she (half-human) survives this ordeal. However, Wrath declines!
Arrogant, indifferent, acrimonious, and lethal, Wrath never has nor feels
compelled to help anyone. Well,
fate intervenes… Darius dies. Wrath feels obligated. He will assist and protect Beth through the transition, then
let her become someone else’s problem and concern. Of course, with “the best laid plans…” And Beth has no idea
what befalls her. She’s human who lives in the “real” world!
Nonetheless, Beth’s adventure with Wrath and the brotherhood
is about to begin…
So far, I’m intrigued with the BDB: Wrath, Tohrment, Rhage,
Vishous (V), Phury, and Zsadist. These menacing, deadly alpha warriors hold a
special bond with each other; they have a genuine camaraderie. Gorgeous, sexy, and virile, the
brothers are true bad boys. They’re
contradictory; ruthless, yet tender; arrogant, yet humble. Each book features a
specific warrior, tells his back-story, his angst, and his “search for a female
of worth”.
In Dark Lover, Beth and Wrath are both captivating and compelling. We
experience their growth as individuals; they courageously confront their
self-doubts, and subsequently, develop a passionate, yet, protective love for
each other. Wrath, the featured alpha of Dark Lover, experiences a startling transformation. When this
self-absorbed, heartless, callous warrior meets Beth, his initial physical and
emotional reactions shock him. He is hopelessly attracted to her! Well…this is new, different, and unbelievable!
I like Wrath as he is the classic bad boy. He feels that he
is unworthy of Beth and does not deserve to love her, nor she in return should
love him. Why? We get a glimpse of his
back-story, mainly the death of his parents. Wrath emphatically believes that
he acted cowardly and dishonorably when his parents were horrifically murdered.
He will never forgive himself. He does not deserve to be king, nor does he
deserve Beth!
Beth, on the other hand, cannot comprehend this world! Vampires? Seriously! More importantly, she’s expected to believe that her father was a
vampire who mated with her human mother! And…she must trust her life to this
lethal stranger, albeit he’s “hott”, gorgeous, and sensually passionate.
Well…Wrath is protective, even
possessive; and surprisingly, Beth feels safe around him. As their story
unfolds, we witness Beth’s spunky courage, backbone, and resolve. She’s just as
supportive, demanding, and devoted as Wrath, her “hellren”, and she readily
adapts to her “new” life, to Wrath, and to the brotherhood.
In addition to the brother warriors, Ward introduces Butch,
“the cop”, the Scribe Virgin, Havers, Marissa, the Omega, Mr. X. Plan to meet
up with them in future stories.
Overall, a good read with engaging characters. A valuable intro to the BDB.
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