I cheated. I know, what a bitch right?
The Explanation: After getting through almost all of the ‘Dark Hunter Series’ books I wanted to venture out and find another series by a different author. Don’t get me wrong I still love Sherrilyn Kenyon, however, I felt the tug and pull of the other books on the shelves.
The Home Wrecker: J.R. Ward and ‘The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series’. Ummm SO good! Okay so you will begin to see a pattern with my book choices in the sense that I have totally and completely jumped on the paranormal/vampire/werewolf wagon and now that it is in writing I can no longer deny it, feels good. Anyway, back to the books… ‘The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series’ is about six warrior vampires and their fight against the ‘Lessening Society’. These books are thrilling, sexy, and suspenseful.
Here is the book list for ‘The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series’ and with much help from the fantastic wikipedia, descriptions of each book:
Dark Lover - Dark Lover is the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It tells the story of Wrath - the last purebred vampire left on the planet. The un-ascended king of the vampire species, Wrath lives only to fight in an endless war with the soulless vampire slayers, Lessers, who brutally murdered his parents centuries ago. As leader of the Brotherhood, his only solace is in fighting, not looking to the past or future, shunning his duties as King… Blaming himself for not intervening when his parents were slain, Wrath has wrapped himself in a cocoon of self-hatred and emotional distance, but Dark Lover tells of his enlivening. When the Lessers kill one of his best fighters, Darius, Wrath is left with the responsibility to help the warrior’s half-human daughter, Beth, through her transition. It is through Beth that Wrath learns to feel and look toward the future of his life and of the species as a whole.
Lover Eternal - Lover Eternal tells the story of Rhage who is considered to be the most attractive of all the Brothers. His beauty has earned him the nickname 'Hollywood'. Rhage was cursed in the early eighteen hundreds for angering the Scribe Virgin. Due to his continued recklessness and uncontrollable lust after his transition, the Scribe Virgin gave him The Beast. Fearsome in its beauty, the Beast resembles a huge dragon with massive claws and a jaw filled with sharp fangs. It was a punishment designed to regulate Rhage's energy and moods. Whenever he gets out of control, the Beast comes out. When this occurs Rhage's eyes turn a brilliant white and his body mutates in a grisly display of tearing and ruptures - letting the Beast emerge. When it is out, Rhage is totally suppressed and he is in no way able to control the Beast, who knows neither friend nor foe. Because of this, Rhage has to keep the Beast from coming out by subduing it through the satiation of a good fight or sex. Rhage's sexual exploits are the stuff of legend in the Vampire society. It is said that fathers tell their sons the story of Rhage when the time is right. But Rhage does not relish this reputation and is, in fact, eager to cast it off…In Lover Eternal Rhage meets Mary, a human female to whom he is inexplicably drawn. Mary is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant on Rhage's protection. However with a life-threatening curse of her own she is not looking for love and lost her faith in miracles long ago. But when Rhage's attraction turns to something more emotional he has to fight to make Mary his alone.
Lover Awakened - Lover Awakened is the third book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It tells the story of Zsadist, a former blood slave, who is the most sinister and terrifying of the brothers. He rescues the beautiful aristocrat, Bella, from the hands of the evil Lessening Society. Their desire for each other is overwhelming, but in order for any hope of a future together, it is Bella who must "rescue" Zsadist from the suffering and humiliation of his tortured past.
Lover Revealed - Lover Revealed is the fourth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard living, ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world- to engage in the bolster war with the Lessers. He's got nothing to lose. His heart belongs to a female vampire, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. If he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers...Fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, found by a miracle, the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love might not be enough to save him...
Love Unbound - Lover Unbound is the fifth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous son of the Bloodletter possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pre-tran growing up in his father's war camp, he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time- until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her.
Lover Enshrined - Lover Enshrined is the sixth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Fiercely loyal to the Brotherhood, Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, becoming the male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood's bloodlines alive. As Primale of the Chosen, he is to father the sons and daughters who will ensure that the traditions of the race survive and that there are warriors to fight those who want all vampires extinguished. As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body but his heart for herself- she sees the emotionally scarred male behind all his noble responsibility. But while the war with the Lessening Society grows more grim, and tragedy looms over the Brotherhood's mansion, Phury must decide between duty and love.
Lover Avenged - Lover Avenged is the seventh book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Caldwell, NY, has long been the battleground for the vampires and their enemies, the Lessening Society. It’s also where Rehvenge has staked out his turf as a drug lord and owner of a notorious nightclub (ZeroSum) that caters to the rich and heavily armed. His shadowy reputation is exactly why he’s approached to kill Wrath, the Blind King, and leader of the Brotherhood. Rehvenge has always kept his distance from the Brotherhood, even though his sister is married to a Brother. Because he’s a symphath[1], his identity is a deadly secret- the revelation of which will result in his banishment to a colony for sociopaths. And as plots within and outside the Brotherhood take their toll against Rehvenge, he turns to the only source of light in a darkening world - Ehlena, a vampire untouched by the corruption that has its hold on him - and the only thing standing between him and eternal destruction.
Lover Mine - Lover Mine is John Matthew's book. It is the eighth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series. It revolves around rescuing Xhex (Rehvenge's loyal friend and sympath[1]) from Lash (Vampire/Son of the Omega/Head of the Lessening Society). John Matthew is the reincarnation of Darius, the Brother who was killed by a car bomb in Dark Lover. In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. Long divided as a terrifying battleground for the vampires and their enemies, the city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. John Matthew has come a long way since he was found living among humans, his vampire nature unknown to himself and to those around him. After he was taken in by the Brotherhood, no one could guess what his true history was- or his true identity. Indeed, the fallen Brother Darius has returned, but with a different face and a very different destiny. As a vicious personal vendetta takes John into the heart of the war, he will need to call up on both who he is now and who he once was in order to face off against evil incarnate. Xhex, a symphath assassin, has long steeled herself against the attraction between her and John Matthew. Having already lost one lover to madness, she will not allow the male of worth to fall prey to the darkness of her twisted life. When fate intervenes, however, the two discover that love, like destiny, is inevitable between soul mates.
Lover Unleashed - To be released Spring of 2011. The story of Payne.
PLEASE go get these books! This series is one of the few that I will go back and re-read.
Here is J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood website:
http://www.jrward.com/bdb/index-books.html#darklover
Currently Listening To: The Garden by Mirah
