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Review
4 stars!
The latest addition to the BDB series brings a bit of a change and a lot of intrigue – as well as a gorgeous romance – and continues the new direction of the series as the Brotherhood prepare to take on a new evil, and uncover a part of their history.
Mae is a young vampire civilian who has lost everything, and in her grief and desperation, she searches for a mythical ‘book’ and accidentally ties herself to an unspeakable evil. Sahvage is a fierce and raw fighter. A member of the Brotherhood from the old country, his life fell to pieces and he has been living under the radar ever since. He is now a part of the underground fighting circuit in Caldwell, and when a particularly violent fight introduces him to innocent Mae who seems to be way out of her depth amongst the blood and gore, the two of them find themselves sharing an unexpected connection, and he is determined to protect the gorgeous young female from the danger that is hunting her.
It’s a great set-up, and so entertaining as Sahvage inserts himself into Mae’s life as her self-appointed guardian. It’s a bit of a different dynamic for the series, and they are so entertaining together and they bicker and banter, and I loved their snarky playfulness.
But they are in a dangerous situation. Evil is hunting them, and when the Brotherhood get wind of the malevolent force, they have to revisit their past in their search for a way to combat it. This leads to a twist in the story, and some pretty cool scenes as they all come together to reclaim one of their own.
There’s a lot going on in this story, with multiple POVs sprinkled throughout – some that are very welcome, and get us up close and person with key players, others that seem really pointless – but it all seems centred on the search for the mysteriously evil and powerful book, and we get to watch multiple aspects of the story unfold.
Firstly, of course, there are Mae and Sahvage, and I really enjoyed their romance.
I loved getting Rhev’s perspective again. I love his and Elena’s book, and even though it’s only minor, getting inside of his head and seeing the two of them still so very much in love was gorgeous.
Balthazar has a bit going on… not quite sure why we’re seeing so much of him because his story doesn’t really go anywhere, but maybe it’s building up to his book? There are certainly hints dropped, and his unique tie to the bad guy is interesting.
Young Nate (who I had completely forgotten about). I actually enjoyed his story, and thought it tied into the book well. However, it looks like he’s heading for heartbreak, and that’s going to be really sad.
The new bad-guy, evil demon, Davina, is a freaking riot. I’m sorry, I know she’s evil incarnate, but she’s so funny, and Jim Frangione narrates her perfectly, with just the right attitude and snark, and it was such a treat to listen to!
Lassiter’s POV was really interesting, and leads in to his book which is coming up next. There’s a great set-up there, and I’m really keen to see how that unfolds.
And then there’s a whole lot of side character storylines (random fighters, security guards, etc.) who we will never see again… and a police officer who we just might see again. It seemed a bit busy with so many perspectives, and Ward’s intense and wordy writing style just added to a whole lot of unnecessary.
But on the whole, I really enjoyed this one. I loved the love story, I’m intrigued by the new bad guy and the direction the series is headed in, and I’m excited for the upcoming books.
4 stars.
Check out our Black Dagger Brotherhood page for more info on the series