One Month, One Vampire Series

Ok, I’m a little late to the Black Dagger Brotherhood book series, but better late than never right? I never read any of the Twilight books, or saw any of the movies, and I’m only up to episode 4 of season 1 of True Blood. So, it is safe to assume that I do not have an abnormal preoccupation with vampires—at least no more than anyone else. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get down to business.

The brothers in the 10 book series (11 if you count the ‘Insider’s Guide’) are not your normal garden variety vampires. Yes, they’re big, strong, sexy alpha males. And yes, they drink blood and fight to protect their race, but that’s where the stereotype ends. Really. These vampires struggle with challenges we can all identify with: physical disabilities, substance abuse problems, unrequited love, and handicaps. J.R. Ward, the author, has done a great job of making them ‘human’. And trust me when I say, there’s a brother for everyone. The series starts out with six (and you’ll have to grant some liberties on the spelling of their names):

• Wrath – The blind king who resists ascending the throne in favor of fighting with his brothers.
• Tohrment – The level-headed brother, with soldier-like proficiency in leading.
• Zsadist – The tortured and unpredictable soul who you can’t help but root for and fear all at the same time.
• Phury – The underdog whose heart and compassion are as overwhelming as they are tragic.
• Vishous – Mysterious, frighteningly intelligent, and just generally cool to hang out with.
• Rhage – The lover.

It took me one month to read the first 9 books—the 10th wasn’t out yet, but I have since read that one too. The books have action in the form of fights, weapons flying through the air—and people—HOT love scenes, witty banter, and references to everything from the latest hip hop artists to descriptions of antique European decor. They are an addictive series with one book building on the other so I highly suggest reading them in order. But above all, I suggest reading them. (Amazon, anyone?)