Oh my, oh my, I forgot how much I loved this one! I forgot how amazing Rhage is!
I don't know why Mary is one of the least appreciated females of the bunch, I really loved her, who she is, what she's been through and also her struggle with herself at surrendering to loving Rhage with all that he is.
This book tells the story of Rhage also known as Hollywood for his over-the-top good looks and "obsession" with having as many women as he can - and he can! Even the brothers don't see past the act. Yes, he has as many women as he can but they serve only the purpose of giving release to his inner monster. and when I say monster I mean a literal monster living inside of him, sharing one body suit. Rhage needs either sexual release or hard core fighting to "feed" the beast, enough that he wouldn't lose control. Because when he does, all hell breaks loose and the casualties are shredded to little pieces.
Rhage is sick of this life. His life. a little more than 100 years ago he was cursed by the Scribe Virgin with the beast and he has little less than 100 years more until the curse is lifted. As the most lethal fighter of the Brothers and as a "Don Juan" the guys just don't see how miserable he actually is. He craves having a woman to love and cherish and when blindly stumbles into Mary he is not willing to let her go even if it means disobeying a direct order from Thor.
Mary is merely a human, coming to the Brotherhood's compound to translate a kid who is unable to speak therefore communicating using ASL. But when Rhage hears her voice he knows he can't and won't have enough of it. She is naturally very attracted to him but she doesn't get what he sees in her. Little by little she surrenders to him though she knows that soon she will have to let him go. A few years back she struggled through cancer and now that the cancer is back she doesn't want Rhage to sit by her side and see her slowly die as she watched her own mother wither in front of her eyes.
Rhage is amazing. Wrath on Lover Reborn was arrogant, self observed and it felt that what kept him so close to Beth was his possessiveness toward her. With Rhage it's obvious that love is what keeps him near her. and from her side, even if she doesn't say the words the way she cares for him, the was she accept all of him, including the beast just shows what an amazing person she is.
This book, unlike the previous one, and much like the ones to follow (as this is a re-read for me, though this time I'm listening to the audio book and not reading the e-book) has several sub plots. I'll try to relate all of them.
John Matthew - This is the first time we encounter John, but actually there was some sort of hidden reference to him in Dark Lover though you'll get it only on the next book. John is an orphan, left after birth in a public restroom. He doesn't have anybody in his life so in a weak attempt to contact he calls the suicide hot line where Mary answers him. But what can he say back? though John hearing is intact he can't speak. One courageous night he walks over to Mary (whom he was watching over for the past couple of months) and tries to connect with her. To his amazement she knows ASL! Mary and John connect in an instant. As Mary is sitting with John, her neighbor - Bella - joins them. Bella is a vampire, an aristocrat. But neither John nor Mary knows that. and there is something else she knows that they don't - John is a vampire, nearing his change, and not only that, she is quite certain he is also a warrior and belongs to the brotherhood. and this is why Mary, John and Bella go into the Brotherhood's compound together. There isn't a lot in this book about him, but I think it's enough to make you fall in love with him and I guess he is one of the most loved Brothers / characters in the BDB series.
The second sub plot is of Bella and Z. I'll start by stating that the third BDB book of Bella and Zsadist is my absolute favorite and Z is my favorite Brother / character in the series. In the first book he is mainly misunderstood but in this book we start to understand there is another side to him he hides behind his scars, tattoos, a grim face and violent attitude. Bella is attracted to Z from the first second she encounter him even if she feels a bit scared of him it doesn't diminish her attraction and even when Z reject her she still keeps wondering about him. But the beautiful thing about it is what happens to Z in this whole process. I know that I'll be listening to their book tomorrow yet I feel restless already.
Since I've read and re-read the parts about Bella and Z a few times now, and since I hate looking them up I'm adding a reminder, mostly for myself in which chapters they appear.
The third sub plot is of the Lessers. The reason I'm giving this one 4.5 stars and not 5 is that the Lessers are SO boring. As I wrote on the previous review I hate that they are basically evil. With no real personally but that fact. I also don't like the Omega. He's a stupid deity. He too is just evil and all he wants is pain and destruction. BORING! Only in this book there is actually a Lesser who is sick of being a Lesser and acts like a human would - with some sort of agenda. Sure his agenda is sick but it's still there. I'm referring to O. Yeah he's still boring most of the time, and yet he is different from the rest of the ultra boring Lessers (especially X.. god! how much I hate X!)
This book was a joy to listen to. I really love the world Ward created for us, I loved the brothers, I love hearing each and everyone of them, and I love learning about their past and what made them the way they are today. I love watching them hitched to women / females of worth.
Only really bad thing I have to say about this one is the narration of the audio book. I'm learning to hate it. The narrator, Jim Frangione, just reads the lines. There is no emotion nor change in tonation for different characters, male / female they sound the same. It difficult to "feel" the characters this way.. Sadly all the audio books are narrated by him. I guess if you want a neutral tone to listen to, and don't want the narrator to bring himself into the character since YOU want to do that in your head, then it would be OK for you (and I'm only saying that because a friend told me she rather have it like that). I would have reduced another half a star for the narration but I feel bad doing it when the book was so amazing!
Additional Details: Audiobook, 21:22 Hours, 26 February - 3 March 2014 / On GoodReads
ABOUT THE MCs
Rhage
Son
of Tohrture, is the strongest and most beautiful of the Brothers. Aptly
nicknamed "Hollywood", he is also the most sexual because of his beast.
Cursed by the Scribe Virgin, Rhage is possessed by a dark creature
known only as the "Beast", making him a danger to everyone, including
his Brothers. However, the beast harbors feelings for a human named
Mary. Rhage falls in love with her and longs to take Mary as his
shellan. Their story is told in Lover Eternal (BDB #2).
Mary Madonna Luce
Named
after the Virgin Mary by her religious mother. Once a secretary in a
legal office and a regular volunteer at a suicide hotline, Mary is
Rhage's human shellan. Mary's leukemia is relapsing when she first meets
Rhage. Her voice immediately attracts him, and her acceptance of his
beast makes her unique and fearless. All of the Brothers fear the beast,
but it knows Mary and loves her, too. She was healed of cancer after
Rhage made a deal with the Scribe Virgin in which he sacrificed a life
for a life. Essentially, this meant giving up his life—Mary—in return
for her not dying. Soon after Rhage agrees to this, the Scribe Virgin
realizes that Mary's previous medical treatments have rendered her
infertile, therefore negating the deal. She allows Rhage to be with his
human because Mary will never hold "flesh of her own flesh" and thinks
that this is sacrifice enough. Mary is also a teacher and confidant of
Zsadist, first teaching him to read and write and then helping him
overcome his fears about the Mistress who held him captive and what he
would tell his daughter once she grows up and inquires about his slave
bands and scars. Her and Rhage's story is told in Lover Eternal (BDB
#2).
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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