August 20, 2007
The newest in Ward's ferociously popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series bears all the marks of a polished storyteller completely at home in her world. Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, is a cunning, stone-hearted vampire warrior devoted to killing the wicked, undead vampire slayers known as the Lessers; after an ill-fated visit to a hospital, Vishous falls instantly and unexpectedly in love with a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb. Soon, Vishous has brought the unwitting human back to the Brotherhood lair, where she returns his feelings, opening up a potentially cataclysmic conflict—Vishous is, against his will, destined to become the Primale, a warrior with multiple vampire wives who's meant to ensure the survival of the species. Ward has by now become an expert at fleshing out the stories of her supporting characters—each with his or her own novel—without overpowering the central story, and while the romance between Vishous and Whitcomb is genre-typical, Ward isn't afraid to break with convention in challenging, gratifying ways. Though not recommended for newcomers to Ward's universe or romance traditionalists, this fix will give Brotherhood addicts a powerful rush.
October 1, 2007
His visions of the future all but gone, the vampire warrior Vishous could never have dreamed hed be in the middle of two life-altering events: trapped in a human hospital and forced by the races creator to accept a role he doubts he can fulfill. Getting out of the hospital should be easy, but instead of planning how to escape, all his attention is on Dr. Jane Whitcomb, whotriggers only one thought: mine. Bonding instinct in full force, he takes her back to the Brotherhoods compound, where, with his rapid healing, he has only a few days to convince her to stay. But even if he does, theres still trap number two, the destiny that will tear them apart. Ward continues pushing and twisting the boundaries of erotic paranormal romance in the latest novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. As usual, multiple ongoing plots share the stage, and though at times Janes story is overshadowed, the novel is the addictive, compelling fix readers have come to expect from the series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)