Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
Paperback, 416 Pages
2005, Signet
ISBN: 0451216954
Series: Book 1 of Black Dagger Brotherhood
Synopsis
In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.
The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.
Review
Dark Lover is the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I had heard time and again that the series was utterly fantastic, but I always passed these books by for something else. After reading Dark Lover, I am really regretting that decision. This book was wonderful. The vampire culture was unique and very well thought out. There was just the right mix of action and romance, preventing either from taking over the entire book.
Dark Lover was definitely a stellar first book in a series. The world J.R. Ward has created here is explained as the situation dictates. There is no feeling of huge info dumping as a means of conveying this information. The reality of the world unfolds as the characters need it to, allowing the reader to feel submersed in this place as opposed to just learning about it.
Wrath, as a warrior and the reluctant king of the vampires, is a surprisingly endearing character. Rough and cold at the beginning of the novel, I still came to love him as he explored his feelings for Beth. I enjoyed the entirely of the brotherhood. Each warrior was so very different, such their own characters, that they were easily distinguishable, even though we only got to see each one for short periods of time. Beth was a little harder to get a grasp on though. She's seen for the majority of the book, but it's very hard to tell what is truly her and what is the coming transition. She was likable enough, but the focus was much more clearly on Wrath and the rest of the brotherhood.
I loved the in-fighting of the brotherhood, that they didn't just blindly get along. The conflicts between them, both in Dark Lover and those mentioned from the centuries they've spent together give a lot of background that could be utilized later in the series. If Dark Lover is any indication, this series could very well become one of my favorites.
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