We're here! John Matthew and Xhex's book! I think for most BDB fans this is absolutely one of the favorites, favorite book and absolutely favorite character. But for me, you know, he can only be third best after Z and Rehv.
The previous book ended with Lash capturing Xhex and it starts with JM being obsessed with finding her though in his heart he doesn't believe she is still alive and even if she is, it's obvious to him that they can't / won't be a mated couple. Xhex IS alive, captured in a special invisible "holding cell" by Lash. Lash, the fucked up guy that he is naturally falls in love with her (with tormenting her and torturing her as well), reminds us a little bit of David (Mr O) from Bella and Z's book only 10 times worse for Xhex than it was with Bella.
When Xhex is finally out of Lash's grasp she is determined to find him and kill him, as JM is. She - for all he did to her, He - because a bonded male can't stand aside the torturer of his female but also for all the shit that he put him through in the previous books. They form a "bond" that consists of basically that - taking down Lash and then they walk away. That's all Xhex can offer JM and he sort of gets it. That's all he can handle from her, there is too much that keeps them apart, mostly too much of personal things they don't think they could share or the other person can understand. Their love story is heart breaking. In so many points throughout the book you feel like crying tears of sorrow or tears of anguish at how it just doesn't seem to work out no matter that the both of them are obviously and SO in love with each other. I loved how it concluded, loved how little by little it started to work out even if it didn't at that moment. They both needed the time for their feelings and resolve to mature enough for them to put themselves on the line. I loved seeing a more vulnerable side to Xhex when it comes to JM and also how he is willing to do everything for her, even let her go if that is what she wishes.
The only thing I was missing in this book is Rehv. I wish we'd have something more from him considering how important she is to him though he does tell JM one sentence that continues on a loop in his brain and have a real significant to who she is and where she is at after all she has been through which is A LOT (btw, Z has his "pearl" as well, loved that he said it and loved that JM took it to heart). We get to hear a little bit of what she has been through, mostly what she deals with now after all that happened but I wish we could have had more of her past and how and where she become the female she is now. She had a past lover named Mhurder which is mentioned but not enough that we get the whole picture, we get the summary mostly. Mhurder used to be a brother so I kinda hope we'll have his story in the next books. Knowing the next one's up until the King and recently Ward said that the 13th one will be of the Shadows so I think that he's the "one missing". I would really love to hear his side of the story on Xhex but also what happened after they departed.
There are several side plots - we have Lash's POV which is naturally disgusting and annoying, I really don't like Ward's villains (up until this book anyway..). There is something absolute about their evilness that makes them unbelievable or not interesting to hear/read. Also the way the Omega is behaving in this book, especially towards Lash is, well, strange. He waited for so long to find Lash and then? :/
Beside that we have a little bit of Thor and how he is starting to get back to himself and how things are starting to get better between him and JM. There is also a hint of someone from his past (prepare yourself for his book, not the next one but the one after it!)
Naturally since this is JM's book we get Quinn and Blay's POV which is mostly their love conflict. For Blay it's obvious, but for Quinn being with Blay is everything he could ask for mixed up with everything he doesn't want for himself. Their love story is heart breaking. Quinn hurts Blay so much, yet he is the one that has to deal on his own with his own demons concerning himself and his love for Blay that he can't possibly fulfill for too many reasons. I can't wait to re-read/listen to their book (the 11th one).
We also get a nice and quite important side story of Darius and Thor (when he just came into the Brotherhood). I loved getting more about D. I remember I really liked the little I've read about him in the first book and also the things that other characters remember of him. It was also interesting seeing younger Thor and his relationship with Darius. It's sort of closing a circle now that Thor is taking care of the "younger Darius"/JM as opposed to Darius taking care of Thor when he was younger.
Wrath keeps visiting Payne on the other side and we get a bit more of her besides her sparing with the king. She is an interesting and quite tortured character even if her cell doesn't sound THAT horrible. There are too sides to her, a very nice and vulnerable side we see when she speaks to other chosen and the crazy fighter she is with Wrath. From what the Scribe Virgin describe of her (little that she does) I wouldn't have expected to see the "nicer" side but it's there and that's what makes her interesting. I loved Xhex and the fighter that she is but also that she isn't only that and having another female like her in this book but also in the next one (and in the series in general) is a really good thing and also a change to the "milder" females the other brother have. Though I think that every female has her own personal "gift" for the brotherhood when she comes to live with the brothers.
Last one is a really strange and frankly not interesting story of two humans - Gregg and Holly checking out the house of Eliahu Rathboone which is said to be haunted by his ghost. After finishing the book you get why we got this side story but I wish it would have been more relevant to the series and not so "off". I didn't like Gregg, didn't like Holly, their love story was not only irrelevant but also boring. Lucky for us their chapters are quite short..
I loved this book. Except for Lash and the humans - the main story and the side stories were really interesting and moving - emotionally but also more literally they moved the plot together being wrapped around the story of Darius/JM and Xhex but also the strange connection it all has to Thor (that we didn't have a clue about before this one).
For me, these two books - Rehv and JM's is getting back on the saddle after V and Phury's book. mostly Phury's... I don't remember my impressions of Payne's book but I loved Thor and the boy's (Qlay ;)) books. Also I can't wait to get to The King! this one went so quickly I can actually see myself reading The King in two weeks or so (and not somewhere in June..)
One last thing! I promise! Jim, the narrator, is really getting better. I would love that he'd make a difference between M/F but except for that he is getting better on every aspect. Actually the previous one was a lot better too.
Additional Details: Audiobook, 21:55 Hours, 15-20 April 2014 / On GoodReads
ABOUT THE MCs
John Matthew/Tehrror
The
reincarnation of Darius. Born mute, John uses American Sign Language
and whistling to communicate with others. Before learning he was a
pre-trans vampire, he lived alone in the human world. At one point, he
was cornered in the hallway of his apartment and raped by an unknown
human male. In despair, John turned to a suicide prevention network in
Caldwell and met Mary Luce. He followed her home so that he could meet
her; during this meeting, Mary's neighbor, Bella, visited and sensed
that John was a vampire like her. As introductions ensued, Bella noticed
a bracelet John wore which carried his name in the Old Language—the
name of a Brother, Tehrror. Bella contacts the Brotherhood, and John
learns what he is and that he will soon go through his transition to
become an adult male vampire. He was also invited by Tohrment and his
expectant mate, Wellesandra, to live with them, among his own kind.
Later, he moved into the Brotherhood's mansion and joined the war to
utilize his (initially unexplained) skill with weapons and knowledge of
lessers. John shares a kinship with Zsadist because of the traumatic
similarities in their pasts. He is best friends with Qhuinn and Blay.
John's story with Xhex is told in Lover Mine (BDB #8).
Xhex
An
ultra tough, hard-core female. She is another half-symphath who works
as a bodyguard/bouncer/co-manager at ZeroSum. She is very close to
Rehvenge and protects him with her life. It greatly pains her that he
has to repay the Sympath Princess over a mistake she made twenty-five
years ago. She was once involved with the Brother Murhder and
experiences much guilt over his having gone insane. Xhex was captured by
Lash in the sympath colony to replace his previous captive, the Sympath
Princess. She becomes John Matthew's shellan after the events of Lover
Mine (BDB #8) take place. Her full name was revealed to be "Xhexania",
meaning "beloved one" in the Old Language, a name given to her by
Darius. Her mother is No'one / Autumn who came to the brotherhood
mansion when Payne was released from the Scribe Virgin's Sanctuary. ABOUT THIS SERIES
The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a Paranormal Romance by J. R. Ward.
This was actually the first PNR I've read. I've been a HUGE vampire fan
most of my life, but I used to read Fantasy and Urban Fantasy. When I
fell upon this series I've realized adding the romance "bit" is the best
thing ever!
This
series have been one of my most favorite for a long while. I really
liked the way Ward built the world of the Brotherhood and in general the
"Breed". They have been living besides humans but they are not a threat
as they feast from their mate (partner) and anyhow human blood isn't
potent enough for them. They mostly act human but as expected they have
special abilities and animalistic behaviors.
The
series follows the Black Dagger Brotherhood, a contingent of vampire
warriors in charge of protecting the "Breed" (Vampires) against their
mortal enemies the "Lessening Society" which are a group of ex-humans
transformed into soulless being with the sole purpose of harming the
vampire race. The head of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Wrath, is also
the King of the race but he was trying to run away from his duties
leaving in his stead a group of vampire aristocrats called the Glymera.
My
main issue with this series comes from the longgggg novels with many
POVs and sub-plots. Sometimes it feels like everything is happening
while there is nothing to actually move the plot. I guess it's very
character driven and there is a lot of shenanigans between the
"Brothers" which makes this read a fun one. This is a series to anyone
looking for an action packed novel with tender romance and a lot of
"bro" attitude. In each book one of the brothers gets his own HEA. There
are interesting coupling, not what you'd expect (or the men themselves
expected) but each woman helps her Breed male find his own happiness as
they are all damages in their own way.
I've
been a huge fan of the series till the 13th novel - "The Shadows", it
has been a breaking point for me, because it was different (and many
reading complained about it) but also because I somehow felt I've had
enough. I still highly recommend this series, It's one of the best in
the genre IMO.
If
you love these kinds of series I'd also recommend "Midnight Breed" by
Lara Adrian. There is a few similarities (mainly in the first
books) bit it takes a totally different turn. I actually enjoy it a bit more than this one.
YEP, RECOMMENDED!
Books:
1. Dark Lover [Wrath & Beth] (published 6 September 2005) ★★★½
2. Lover Eternal [Rhage & Marry] (published 7 March 2006) ★★★★½
3. Lover Awakened [Zsadist & Bella] (published 5 September 2006) ★★★★★
4. Lover Revealed [Butch & Marissa] (published 6 Match 2007) ★★★★½
5. Lover Unbound [Vishous & Jane] (published 25 September 2007) ★★★★
6. Lover Enshrined [Phury & Cromia] (published 3 June 2008) ★★
--- An Insider's Guide (Including "Father Mine") (published 7 October 2008 ) ★★★★
6.5 Father Mine [Zsadist, Bella & Nalla] (published 7 October 2008) ★★★★★
7. Lover Avenged [Rehvenge & Ehlena] (published 28 April 2009) ★★★★★
8. Lover Mine [John Mathew & Xhex] (published 27 April 2010) ★★★★★
9. Lover Unleashed [Payne & Manny] (published 29 March 2011) ★★★★½
10. Lover Reborn [Thor & Autumn] (published 27 March 2012) ★
11. Lover At Last [Quinn & Blaylock] (published 26 March 2013) ★★★★½
12. The King [Wrath & Beth revisited] (published 1 April 2014) ★★★½
13. The Shadows [Trez & Selena / iAm & Maichen] (published 31 March 2015) ★★★
As I've mentioned there are more books published in this series but I've stopped after the 13th one.
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