Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1) [Hardcover]

J.R. Ward (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 4, 2011

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 their enemies-the lessers-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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'It's not easy to find a new twist on the vampire myth, but Ward succeeds beautifully. This dark and compelling world is filled with enticing romance as well as perilous adventure. With myriad possibilities to choose from, the Black Dagger Brotherhood series promises tons of thrills and chills.' Romantic Times" --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

After graduating from law school J. R. Ward began working in health care in Boston and spent many years as chief of staff for one of the premier academic medical centres in the U.S. She lives in the South with her incredibly supportive husband and her beloved golden retriever. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: New American Library; Reissue edition (October 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451235959
• ISBN-13: 978-0451235954
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (934 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

J.R. Ward is the number one New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series of vampire books. She is a winner of the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA award for Best Paranormal Romance and is a multiple RITA nominee. A graduate of Smith College, she was a double major in History and Art History with a medieval concentration in both and she still longs at times for a return to those days sitting in dark lecture halls, looking at slides of old triptychs and reliquaries. Prior to becoming a full time writer, she was a corporate attorney, serving for many years as the Chief of Staff of one of Harvard Medical Schools premier teaching sites. Her idea of absolute heaven is a day filled with nothing but her computer, her dog and her coffee pot and the Brothers, of course.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#86 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#2 in Books > Romance > Fantasy & Futuristic

#17 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#32 in Books > Romance

#39 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance

#71 in Books > Literature & Fiction

#2 in Books > Romance > Fantasy & Futuristic

#17 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#32 in Books > Romance

#39 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance

#71 in Books > Literature & Fiction

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

285 of 308 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Vampire Series That Entertains!!! January 27, 2006

By Kristi Ahlers

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Wrath is a vampire who prefers to be alone, and work alone. When his good friend Darius asks for Wrath's help with his daughter he is turned down by Wrath. Knowing going into the request it would probably be a negative answer he still attempts to reach Wrath's softer side. Darius's daughter is half human and she is getting ready to change over but will need the help of a strong vampire male. Wrath thinks he has been able to walk away from that commitment and responsibility but then Darius is killed. Now he must look over his friend's daughter. Too bad the human, Beth speaks to the long buried part of him he thought dead. Will he be able to walk away from her after her transition?

Beth has been noticing changes in her body but has been largely ignoring them as she goes about her business as writer for a local newspaper. But one night she thinks she dreams about a dark, large man who has fangs and it scares her. When she realizes it was not a dream but reality she at first wants to freak out...but then she also can't get over how sexy he is. When she finds out the truth about herself and Wrath will Beth be willing to accept what fate has in store or will the Lessers get to her first?

Ms. Ward's new vampire world is a delicious addition to the sub-genre of vampire fiction. Her story is a little dark, and little erotic, and a whole lot entertaining. She has taken the vampire legend and has made it her own. With an eclectic group of secondary characters, her own creatively drawn bad guys the reader will not roll their eyes with boredom. I highly look forward to the next in the series.

137 of 153 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars decent romance, decent sex May 28, 2006

By Kalea

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I have without a doubt The Black Dagger Brotherhood will have a cult following. It's dark, dramatic, and the characters are likable. They all have their own little kinks. The story is decent.

Dark Lover starts off with Darius, an aristocrat vamp, asking Wrath, the blind king, to help his half-breed daughter, Beth through the transition. The transition is similar to puberty. Darius fears his daughter may not survive it and thinks Wrath's pure vampire blood would be strong enough to help her. Wrath declines because he's a loner, prefers to keep to himself, and is an arrogant jerk. Unfortunately, Darius is killed by lessers (soul-less vamp killing humans) and his last wish was for Wrath to find Beth.

I expected Wrath and Beth's first encounter to be interesting. Intsead it was the typical, borderline cheesy, instant sexual attraction scene. Beth wanted Wrath to do her on the spot. "Kiss me. Touch me. moan moan moan" After Wrath realizes how much he loves Beth he becomes very needy. He needs her every second of everyday. He wasn't acting like a male, much less an alpha male warrior.

The brothers are all supposed to be over 100 years old and they have accents which they hide when they speak, yet they sound like OUTDATED thugs. "Straight up. True? My brother. Man. Yo" I smiled every time I read a dialogue between them. I was half expecting them to pronounce all the words that end with an "-er" with an "-a" sound. Like "My Brotha" LOL Another thing I found funny was how manly the brothers liked to act, and when they're spilling their guts out, the tend to clam up quickly, fearing their masculinity would be compromised. Also, pay attention to their names. Rhage (Rage), Phury (Fury), Vishous (Vicious), Zsadist (Sadist), Tohrment (Torment).

The plot felt like it was thrown together haphazardly. There were no real plans in the fight against the lessers. I think this series has a lot of promise and will possibly be better in the future. Whenever a writer starts something new, they tend to experiment and get a better feel for the story. It's too bad none of the books are stand alone; every book is connected. I hope when Phury's story is written, things won't be as choppy.

Some of the elements in this book is similar to Christine Feehan's Dark Carpathian series, which I highly recommend.

129 of 147 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars More Violent than Sherrilyn Kenyon but with a WONDERFUL Romance September 22, 2005

By Cat Lover

Format:Mass Market Paperback

What an excellent writer this is! Dark Lover will easily make the best seller lists and win awards. I love paranormal romances (as well as all other kinds of romances - having read hundreds of them) and this is top quality. At first, I was dismayed by the level of violence and cussing in this book, it being even grittier than Kenyon's and Feehan's works. Still, I think Sherrilyn Kenyon fans will love this. The romance was superb - not overboard on the sex but plenty of detailed sensuality - just perfect! We get to meet several lovable(ha!) characters which will make up future books in this series and I will read them all, even if I am flinching a bit at all the blood, gore and language. The romantic line is worth it.