Author: J. R. Ward (Jessica Bird)

Title: Black Dagger Brotherhood - Dark Lover

Published: 2005 (in FIN, 2009)

Translated into Finnish by: Marke Ahonen

Translation title: Pimeyden rakastaja

 

8 am

As many have noticed, there have been a lot of vampire related books and TV-series recently, apparently thanks to Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Besides Twilight and this Black Dagger Brotherhood, there is The Southern Vampire Mysteries (which led into the existence of a TV-series, True Blood), The Mortal Instruments... et cetera. But the author of Dark Lover brings new definitions of vampires: yes, they can't be in the sunlight or else they'll burn to death, and yes, they need blood, but they don't need to suck it from humans - they need another vampire's blood, of the opposite sex, in order to survive. What's even more strange is that Dark Lover's vampires can eat human food - and one of them loves garlic. Fried. Also, the vampires seem to live like humans till they turn 25 (except that they don't  usually want sex, even though a lot of people are ready to lay them), when they... well, transform into vampires. Their eyes start to ache because of sunlight, they're restless, they have an urge for raw meat, and so forth. The transformation seems to be something horrible, and many vampires die during the process or right afterwards.

The vampires have managed to stay hidden from the humans, but they have enemies called lessers, humans that have given away their souls in order to fight against and kill vampires. Lessers don't have hearts, and they keep their dug-out hearts in a pot.

The civilian vampires don't seem strong enough to fight them, so there are six strong vampires - the Black Dagger Brotherhood - who do the fighting and protection. These six are huge-sized, muscular, and vicious, cruel warriors. They carry all kinds of weapons, but the most important ones seem to be their daggers. Their leader is the King of Vampires, named Wrath.

The story begins in a night-club called Screamer's, and immediately I'm reminded by the beginning of another story I've recently read.... which is City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, the first book of The Mortal Instruments. The only difference is that nobody dies inside that night-club. One of the Black Dagger Brothers (Darius) wishes his leader to do him a favour, but Wrath says No. Right after this Darius goes out and dies in an explosion. Wrath decides to do the favour after all, and goes out to seek for Darius's daughter, who is half-human and half-vampire - and is most likely to go through transformation really soon.

OK. So far I've read 219 pages (in two days), and I'm hooked. Kinda. There are some things I don't like (like, the plot moves on really fast, Wrath all of a sudden decides to help Darius after Darius has died, and then he goes and falls in love with Darius's daughter - big surprise, anyone?), just like in Twilight - there is something that bothers me while reading, but I just can't stop reading. Also, there are elements that remind me of Twilight and The Mortal Instruments, but then again I was sort of happy to find out that Beth (Darius's daughter) is attracted to Wrath because of the transformation stuff - she hasn't wanted any human man in her life, even though the men have felt attraction towards her. She finds it weird as well, but thinks it's something that will pass one day.

Yeah, it will pass. But not in the way she imagined...

There are also other things going on: the lessers have a new leader, Mister X, who wishes to successfully make a new vampire-killing strategy; a vampire doctor Havers tries to find out new ways to survive as a vampire without feeding on the opposite sex; Wrath's partner (shellan) Marissa leaves Wrath after she finds out about Beth; and a human detective Butch O'Neal, apparently in love with Beth, tries to solve recent murders - which somehow are related to the dark lover of Beth....

I must say... this is an interesting book, just like one of my friends told me. I'm craving to read more. The only problem is my fever haha....

11 am

I guess one of the main differences between Twilight (as an example) and Dark Lover is that, unlike in Twilight, Dark Lover describes sexual activities and desires in more detail. Even though sex in this book amuses me, it's not anything I'd get kicks from - it just makes me giggle. (Y'know, there are books that give you sexual kicks - like with some of Diana Gabaldon's book you just can't help it.)

8 pm

I finished the book some time ago, so here are my last thoughts on the book... 

I didn't like the ending, it felt like ... rushed. As if the author had suddenly realized, "Hey, I need to finish this book soon, well let's finish it NOW." I was also disappointed of Beth's transformation (which of course had to happen... what did you think?) - it wasn't anything horrible, and she recovered fast. I was like, "!!! No way!!"

Anyway.

Rougher than Twilight, enjoyable, laughable (dark humour for the win), interesting setting... some surprising character pairings (and one way too obvious - but I guess every story must have one relationship like that, right?), and a little surprise at the end (which I am not going to spoil.)

I give four stars. :) Can't wait for the sequel (which I saw in the library the other day... Ooh, fever, go away so I can get out!)

Started: Sep 27, 2010.

Finished: Sep 29, 2010.

Recommended for: for people who wished more sex and roughness and violence while reading Twilight... fang fans that don't mind Ward's new definition... and to those who want to read about eroticism, leather, and fangs. I won't say this is for romantic people (y'know, to those people who believe in love in the fairytale style), because this is... more... profane. Something NOT innocent. Innocent minded people who have a problem with sex... well, this is not for you. Innocent minded people wanting to know about sex? Sure, why not.