Dark Lover

Wrath is the last purebred vampire on earth and the reluctant king of his species. He leads the Black Dagger Brotherhood, an elite group of vampire warriors fighting a war against human slayers called the Lessening Society. When one of his brothers is killed, Wrath must help the fallen warrior’s half-human daughter, Beth Randall, through her transition into vampire life. Beth knows nothing of her heritage. Wrath wants nothing to do with feelings. Neither of them gets a choice.

Why Start Here

Dark Lover takes paranormal romance into darker, grittier territory. J.R. Ward’s vampires are not elegant aristocrats. They are massive, tattooed warriors who speak in modern slang, drive muscle cars, and carry enough weapons to arm a small militia. The tonal blend of street-level grit and supernatural mythology is unique in the genre, and it is what has made the Black Dagger Brotherhood one of paranormal romance’s most enduring series.

Wrath and Beth’s romance moves fast and hits hard. He is terrifying and tender in equal measure; she is thrown into a world she never knew existed and rises to meet it. The war with the Lessening Society provides genuine danger, and the glimpses of the other Brotherhood members make you want to read their stories immediately.

What to Expect

A dark, intense paranormal romance with explicit content and graphic violence. At 393 pages, it is dense with plot and character. Multiple points of view, including the villain’s perspective. Ward’s distinctive voice takes some readers a chapter to adjust to, but once it clicks, it is addictive. The central romance resolves, but the series spans over twenty books, each following a different Brotherhood member.