Buy: Amazon | Paperback | Audio
Review
5 stars!
OMG, I loved this one so much! Exciting, suspenseful, heartfelt and romantic and full of the fabulous dynamics that I love about this series. A fantastic blend of the old and the new, it was all win for me, and I couldn’t put it down.
Syn is one of the Band of Bastards that has joined up with the Brotherhood in the war against the Lessening Society. He’s a dangerous male with a deadly reputation that is very well deserved, secretly spending his spare time moonlighting as an assassin, and his newest target is a feisty young reporter who has stumbled across the wrong story.
Jo Early has appeared in a few books now. She’s a reporter with a keen interest in the supernatural, but with her consistently getting her memory wiped every time she happens to come across something interesting, she can’t remember most of what she’s seen. She’s also a vampire half-breed on the verge of her transition, and though she knows that she’s not well, she has no idea what’s actually going on.
When Syn and Jo meet there is an instant spark. Syn is instantly smitten, and there’s no way he’s going to be able to harm the female he very quickly comes to think of as “his”, and I loved how caring and protective he is of her! Their romance is natural and honest, though of course there are secrets which much be kept, but they don’t hide how they feel and their love story is gorgeously sweet and sexy, bringing out the softer side of Syn, which was so gorgeous to see!
He wanted to sleep with her up against his body, skin to skin, a dagger in his right hand, a gun under his pillow, a length of chain beneath the bed, to ensure her protection against anything and everybody that would hurt her.
We don’t see as much of their relationship as I would have liked, because there’s a lot of other things going on in the book, but they are so freaking cute together, and the highlight, for me, came when Jo finally learns Syn’s secret and becomes a part of his world. It’s done so well, with quite a few twists and turns along the way.
Meanwhile, Butch is living out his destiny as the Dhestroyer, slowly decimating the Lessening Society, and with it, the evil omega. But will he be able to fulfil the prophy? And at what cost? I really loved this side story. I love Butch as a character, and as much as I loved seeing him still happy and very much in love with Marissa, it was the Butch and V dynamic that held so much win for me. V is an all-time fave from the series and I freaking love the bromance between these two, so seeing so much of them together teasing, bantering and arguing, but ultimately having each other’s backs without question was such a treat!
“Where are you? And if you say not important I’m going to punch this angel because he’s the closest thing to me.”
“Not important…”
Over the connection, there was a muffled OW! What the FUCK, V!
“God, that was satisfying,” V murmured. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Like most BDB fans, I could completely do without Lesser POV, which I find boring and unnecessary, and while, again, it could have been completely skipped in this book, I didn’t mind it as much as some of the earlier books.
There are big developments when it comes to the war, and a new bad guy is emerging. That one looks all kinds of interesting, and given that final glimpse, I am fully on board for what is to come.
There are some big moments in this book, and I loved watching the story unfold. I was utterly captivated from start to finish, and that little treat at the end had me clutching my heart and I actually shed a few tears. What a magical moment!
After 18 books and a handful of novellas, I am still madly in love with this series. I’m excited for the new direction and can’t wait to see where it’s all going to go from here.
5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Check out our Black Dagger Brotherhood page for more info on the series