The Savior by J. R. Ward
When the breadth of your reading experience in paranormal fiction is a couple of YA series and Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, almost nothing can prepare you for the popular world of paranormal romance. But with J. R. Ward’s new novel in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, The Savior (Gallery Books), you will want to delve further.
This latest installment is number 17 in the series, but newcomers don’t have to read the first 16 to understand this one. Publicist Michelle Podberezniak states, “The Savior harkens back to Ward’s early novels and is sure to captivate her loyal fans, but is also perfect for any newcomers,” and she is correct. However, after readers experience the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, they will want to go back to read the rest of the series.
Murhder, the only vampire to be outcast from the Brotherhood, is swimming in insanity and guilt at a B&B in South Carolina. He’s received three letters from a vampire he failed to save from a research facility twenty years ago, urging him to rescue her son, born in the facility and still trapped there. But all his efforts have come up empty save one—go back to the Brotherhood and ask for help.
Dr. Sarah Watkins is a human researcher who’s lived a solitary life for two years following the death of her fiancé, emotionally and physically stuck in the house they shared, working at the same lab where they worked. But when the FBI comes knocking at her door for answers related to the recent death of her fiancé’s boss, she must reexamine everything she thought was true about herself, her fiancé, and the work he was doing.
These tortured characters meet in a flurry of action and violence that doesn’t let up for most of the novel. Their time together is scorching hot, their moments of reflection are poignant, and their supporting cast of characters are delicious in their own rights. Each time a Brother or his shellan (female vampire who has been mated to a male) appears in this story, the reader must wonder: what more of this character’s story should I know? J. R. Ward gives each of the Brothers an intriguing and attractive personality and a backstory that makes anyone want to read more of this series.
But even with the action and the issues these characters face (some stemming from current social issues like animal cruelty), the core of this novel and the rest of the series is romance. For romance readers who enjoy the quintessential alpha male, The Black Dagger Brotherhood has all the variations one could ask for. Murhder is the tortured inherently upstanding loyal alpha, ready to die for a cause or his woman. Though the words “chivalry” and “vampire” don’t naturally come together, it’s at the forefront when you meet this Brother. Murhder and Sarah will warm readers’ hearts and stoke the fires of their dreams.
The Savior is now available for purchase.
Buy this Book!
Amazon
Honestly as a long time fan of Ward and BDB this book was a disappointment. It was written for her publisher to market it to readers that have never read BDB. While a new reader won’t be lost with this book they will with the next IF Ward actually picks up the dropped storylines from book 16. This is not BDB it’s a romance book with vampires. It’s like Ward is starting the series over and forgetting everything she has written and her loyal love.