Review of Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood #1) by J.R. Ward

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.

 4 Stars!

I really enjoyed this book for several reasons: I liked the take on this author's version of Vampires, it's not all hearts and flowers and eternity; it's war, and Wrath, as an imperfect King, was different to read about. The point of view changes very abruptly, at times, so that took some getting used to, but I do enjoy having multiple points of view. As I am just starting this series, and there are already quite a few books written, it is nice to start seeing bits and pieces of the other characters, so that you already feel invested in their stories.

We first meet Wrath when he meets with Darius, one of his brothers in the Black Dagger Brotherhood, an elite group of vampire warriors, bound to protect their civilization. Wrath is the King, and he is also mostly blind, as well as being the last purebred Vampire left. Darius wants Wrath to help him with his half-human daughter, as she is getting close to her transition into becoming a Vampire. At first, Wrath is unwilling to help, as he has little use for humans, but several events lead to his path running across Beth, anyways. At that point, he can't help but to be drawn to her.

Beth, who is unaware of her half-Vampire status, and certainly unaware of the fact that her life is about to completely change, is a reporter that is constantly chasing after police officers and crime in their town of Caldwell, NY. After a scary incident, she comes across a very intimidating man that keeps popping up in her life, though she is not certain if he is safe or dangerous. Wrath is there for Beth, however, when she truly needs him, and her life is forever entangled with the Brotherhood after that.

There is definitely more to come with this story, which I am excited to read about. All of the Brotherhood are such flawed characters, despite how strong they are, so it's a nice difference from the typical, perfect and flawless Vampire story. There are a few grammatical errors, as well as shortened words or slang that the author uses that don't quite seem appropriate for big, bad warriors to use, so I keep noticing them. Otherwise, I am hooked on these guys.

Jessica