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Description edit
Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard living, ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world- to engage in the turf war with the lessers. He's got nothing to lose. His... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Summary edit
In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Now, an ally of the Black Dagger Brotherhood will face the challenge of... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)
Characters edit
- Butch O'Neal: The first human allowed into the world of the brotherhood, former cop
- Marissa: Vampire -- an aristocratic beauty who's way out of Butch's league. Havers' sister
- Vishous: Butch's best friend. The most intelligent and the one who is specially gifted. His curse is his ability to prognosticate: he sees the future, though not the 'when' of events so he is tortured by his inability to save those he loves from danger.
- The Scribe Virgin: The Mother of all vampires.
- The Omega: Head/leader of the lessening society, a seriously evil force
- Mr. X: The fore-lessors of the Lessening Society, Joseph Xavier
- Wrath: Beth's hellren. The last purebred vampire on the planet and the vampire race's king. He is the leader who is not willing to lead until he is forced to care for a half-breed he falls in love with.
- Zsadist: A member of the Brotherhood. Bella's hellren. Phury's twin. The most lethal of the brothers. A former blood slave who was mercilessly tortured during the first hundred years of his life, Z is the one who has fallen farthest from grace. But he is utterly worthy of redemption.
- Rhage: A member of the Brotherhood. Mary's hellren. The strongest of the brothers and the best fighter. Cursed by the Scribe Virgin, he is possessed by a dark side which is a danger to everyone.
- Tohrment: Member of the Brotherhood; he disappeared after his shellan's death. The steady one, the calm one.
- Havers: Marissa's brother, a doctor.
- Rehvenge: "The Reverend" - He is the owner of ZeroSum. Bella's brother. He is in love with Marissa.
- Bella: Zsadist's shellan. Sister of Rehvenge.
- Mary Luce: Rhage's shellan.
- Beth Randall: Wrath's shellan.
- Xhex: Rehvenge's chief security officer at ZeroSum.
- John Matthew: In training to become a warrior. Darius' 'reincarnated' as only the SV can do it. The Brotherhood believes he is Beth's brother.
- Lash: he is training to become a warrior. He dislikes John. Son of the Leahdyre of the Glymera.
- Blaylock: 'Blay' - he is training to become a warrior. One of John's friends.
- Joyce O'Neal Rafferty: Butch's sister.
- Qhuinn: he is training to become a warrior. One of John's friends
- Layla: a Chosen.
- Phury: Zsadist's twin brother; Member of the Brotherhood. The loyal one, the one who sacrifices himself for others. Phury is Zsadist's twin brother and a celibate who cannot truly live because of everything his biological brother has lost.
- Fritz Perlmutter: Doggen, butler extraordinaire.
- Wellesandra: "Wellsie" - Tohr's shellan who was killed by the lessers.
- Mike Rafferty: Joyce's husband and Butch's brother-in-law
- Sean Rafferty: Joyce and Mike's newborn son, Butch's nephew
- Janie O'Neal: Butch's murdered sister
- Eddie O'Neal: Butch's father
- Odell O'Neal: Butch mother who has Alzheimer's disease.
- Van Dean: Amateur street fighter hired by the lesser to train recruits in fighting
- Phillipa: Doggen for SafePlace
- José de la Cruz: Butch O'Neal's partner when he was on the police force
- Darius: a former member of the Black Daggar Brotherhood that died in a car explosion.
Quotes edit
-
“Death wish," V said under his breath. "Fucking Death Wish Boy we got over here.”
Vischous talking about Butch -
“Oh God, Butch, the death! The blood down the front of my shirt! A shirt of mine!”
Vishous -
“You know, you sound like birds when you do that chuckle thing. It's nice." Over to the left, Vishous put his head in his hands... "Guess I'm not allowed to say that.”
Butch to the Scribe Virgin -
“Please don't read my mind. It's rude.”
Marissa to Vishous -
“He's like...bus exhaust or some shit.”
Rhage -
“I got my chassis overhauled, I run better now.”
Butch -
“You finished big guy?" "FYI, goalpost over there would make a righteous toothpick.”
Vishous to Rhage -
“Ah, well, how inconvenient for them. You'll understand, however, if I'm not available that evening." "I haven't told you a date." "As I said, I'm unavailable.”
Marissa and Havers -
“Butch was going to die soon, but at least he could look Saint Peter in the eye and know he wasn't a squealer when he got to heaven.”
-
“What the hell was he going to do without that smart-ass, tough-talking, Scotch-sucking SOB? The rough bastard somehow smoothed the edges of life, probably because he was like sandpaper, a scratchy, persistent wrong-way-rub-that left everything more even.”
Vishous about Butch -
“V, you know I love you like a brother, right?" "Yeah." "You feed her and I'll tear your fucking throat out.”
Butch to Vishous -
“I can't decide whether you have serious balls or a death wish." "Never underestimate the power of self-hatred, V. It's a hell of a motivator. Besides, we both know what the only other option is.”
Vishous & Butch -
“You've got some of me in you, cop. 'Course, I always knew you were a royal. Just didn't think it went past the pain-in- the-ass part, is all.”
Wrath -
“You know, human, if you learned some manners, you would fare well with me." "If I promise to work at it, will you help me live through what's coming?”
The Scribe Virgin & Butch -
“He let his head fall back against the table. Wrath was going to kill him. Absolutely. When they let that boy go, the king was going to wipe the floor with him.”
Butch -
“There shall be one to bring the end before the master, a fighter of modern time found in the seventh of the twenty-first, and he shall be known in the numbers he bears: One more than the compass he apperceives, Though mere four points to make at his right, Three lives has he, Two scores on his fore, and with a single black eye, in one well will he be birthed and die.”
The Destroyer Prophecy -
“As Butch held his palm up in despair, Vishous whipped off his glove and grabbed on good and hard. V's energy, that beautiful, white light, poured down Butch's arm and ripped through him in a blast, cleansing, renewing. United by their clasped hands, they became again the two halves, the light and the dark. The Destroyer and the Savior. A whole.”
-
“As he started to get in, he looked at Rehvenge. The guy's violet stare was glowing, like he had half a mind to get involved, but Butch nailed the male right in the eye and pointed at the guy's chest, the universal signal for you-stay-right-there-buddy-and-you-get-to-keep-your-teeth . Rehv's lips moved in a curse, but then he bowed his head and dematerialized.”
Butch -
“V?" Butch said. "Don't leave, okay?" "Never." V brushed Butch's hair back with a gesture so tender it was out of place coming from a male.”
Butch and V -
“I hear ya. No one's biz but yours. One question though. "What?" "When the females tie you down, do they paint your toe-nails and shit? Or just do your makeup? Wait... they tickle your pits with feather, right?”
Butch to Vishous -
“As he took a little breather, she tilted her head up. "Is it over?" "Not by a long shot." Man, he loved that glassy, sexed-up look in her eyes. "Why don't you lie back and let me do my thing. We're just getting started here."”
Marissa and Butch -
“Man, he was going to have to readjust his definition of hardcore, thanks to that eyeful.”
-
“Nope, I'm a vascular virgin. Personally, I hate the idea of some female feeding off me.”
Vishous to Butch -
“So I want to share a little news." "You getting married?" Butch tossed back half the new Lag. "Where you registered? Crate and Bury'Em?”
Rehvenge and Butch -
“You two are like watching tennis, and racquet sports bore me. What's the news?”
Vishous -
“What's wrong?" she asked. "You're very tight." "Well, you're very big." He laughed in a burst. "Nicest things... you say the nicest things.”
-
“Go to your female, cop. Don't worry about me." "You're such a pain in the ass." "Said the SIG to the Glock.”
Vishous and Butch -
“Butch?" "Yeah?" "I'm not sorry I slapped you.”
Butch and Marissa -
“Hello? My brother? You here to report or make like sculpture?”
Wrath to Vishous -
“I can't decide whether you have serious balls or a death wish." "Never underestimate the power of self-hatred, V. It's a hell of a motivator. Besides, we both know what the only other option is.”
Vishous and Butch -
“"Man," Rhage muttered, "someone hit this place with the Hallmark stick.""Until it broke."”
Rhage
Setting & Locations edit
- Caldwell, New York
- The Commodore
- ZeroSum
- Screamer's
- McGrider's Bar
- Safe Place: Haven for unmated or abused females
- The Tomb: Sacred vault of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Used as a ceremonial site as well as a storage facility for the jars of lessers. Ceremonies performed there include inductions, funerals, and disciplinary actions against Brothers. No one may enter except for members of the Brotherhood, the Scribe Virgin, or candidates for induction.
- The Fade: Nontemporal realm where the dead reunite with their loved ones and pass eternity.
- Dhunhd: Hell.
Organizations edit
- Black Dagger Brotherhood: Highly trained vampire warriors who protect their species against the Lessening Society. As a result of selective breeding within the race, Brothers possess immense physical and mental strength, as well as rapid healing capabilities. They are not siblings for the most part, and are inducted into the Brotherhood upon nomination by the Brothers. Aggressive, self-reliant, and secretive by nature, they exist apart from civilians, having little contact with members of other classes expect when they need to feed. They are subjects of legend and the object of reverence within the vampire world. They may be killed only by the most serious of wounds.
- Lessening Society: Order of the slayers convened by the Omega for the purpose of eradicating the vampire species.
- The Chosen: Female vampires who have been bred to serve the Scribe Virgin. They are considered members of the aristocracy, though they are spiritually rather than temporally focused. They have little or no interaction with males, but can be mater to Brothers at the Scribe Virgin's direction to propagate their class. Some have the ability to prognosticate. In the past, they were used to meet the blood needs of unmated members of the Brotherhood, and thatpractice has been reinstated by the Brothers.
First Sentence edit
"What if I told you I had a fantasy?" Butch O'Neal put his Scotch down and eyed the blonde who'd spoken to him.
Table of Contents edit
Chapter 1 - 50
Epilogue
Glossary edit
- Ahstrux Nohtrum: Private guard with license to kill who is granted his or her position by the king.
- Ahvenge: To commit an act of mortal retribution, carried out typically by a male loved one.
- Black Dagger Brotherhood: Highly trained vampire warriors who protect their species against the Lessening Society. As a result of selective breeding within the race, Brothers possess immense physical and mental strength, as well as rapid healing capabilities. They are not siblings for the most part, and are inducted into the Brotherhood upon nomination by the Brothers. Aggressive, self-reliant, and secretive by nature, they exist apart from civilians, having little contact with members of other classes expect when they need to feed. They are subjects of legend and the object of reverence within the vampire world. They may be killed only by the most serious of wounds.
- Blood Slave: Male or female vampire who has been subjugated to serve the blood needs of another. The practice of keeping blood slaves has recently been outlawed.
- The Chosen: Female vampires who have been bred to serve the Scribe Virgin. They are considered members of the aristocracy, though they are spiritually rather than temporally focused. They have little or no interaction with males, but can be mater to Brothers at the Scribe Virgin's direction to propagate their class. Some have the ability to prognosticate. In the past, they were used to meet the blood needs of unmated members of the Brotherhood, and thatpractice has been reinstated by the Brothers.
- Chrih: Symbol of honorable death in the Old Language.
- Cohntehst: Conflict between two males competing for the right to be a female's mate.
- Dhunhd: Hell.
- Doggen: Member of the servant class within the vampire world. Doggen have old, conservative traditions about service to their superiors, following a formal code of dress and behavior. They are able to go out during the day, but they age relatively quickly. Life expectancy is approximately five hundred years.
- Ehros: A Chosen trained in the matter of sexual arts.
- Exhile Dhoble: The evil or cursed twin, the one born second.
- The Fade: Nontemporal realm where the dead reunite with their loved ones and pass eternity.
- First Family: The King and Queen of the vampires, and any children they may have.
- Ghardian: Custodian of an individual. There are varying degrees of ghardians, with the most powerful being that of a sehcluded female.
- Glymera: The social core of the aristocracy, roughly equivalent to Regency England's ton.
- Hellren: Male vampire who has been mated to a female. Males may take more than one female as mate.
- Leahdyre: A person of power and influence.
- Leelan: A term of endearment loosely translated as 'dearest one'.
- Lessening Society: Order of the slayers convened by the Omega for the purpose of eradicating the vampire species.
- Lesser: De-souled human who targets vampires for extermination as a member of the Lessening Society. Lessers must be stabbed through the chest in order to be killed; otherwise they are ageless. They do not eat or drink and are impotent. Over time, their hair, skin, and irises lose pigmentation until they are blond, blushless, and pale-eyed. They smell like baby powder. Inducted into the society by the Omega, they retain a ceramic jar thereafter into which their heart was placed after it was removed.
- Lewlhen: Gift.
- Lheage: A term of respect used by a sexual submissive to refer to her dominant.
- Lys: Torture tool used to remove the eyes.
- Mhis: The masking of a given physical environment; the creation of a field of illusion.
- Nalla (f) Nallum (m): Beloved.
- Needing Period: Female vampire's time of fertility, generally lasting for two days and accompanied by intense sexual cravings. Occurs approximately five years after a female's transition and then once a decade thereafter. all males respond to some degree if they are around a female in her need. It can be a dangerous time, with conflicts and fights breaking out between competing males, particularly if the female is not mated.
- Newling: A virgin.
- The Omega: Malevolent, mystical figure who has targeted the vampires for extinction out of resentment directed towards the Scribe Virgin. Exists in a nontemporal realm and has extensive powers, though not the power of creation.
- Phearsom: Term referring to the potency of a male's sexual organs. Literal translation something close to "worthy of entering a female".
- Princeps: Highest level of vampire aristocracy, second only to the members of the First Family or the Scribe Virgin's Chosen. Must be born to the title; it may not be conferred.
- Pyrocant: Refers to a critical weakness in an individual. The weakness can be internal, such as an addiction, or external, such as a lover.
- Rahlman: Savior.
- Rythe: Ritual manner of assuaging honor granted by one who has offended another. If accepted, the offended chooses a weapon and strikes the offender, who presents him- or herself- without defenses.
- The Scribe Virgin: Mystical force who is counselor to the King as well as the keeper of vampire archives and the dispenser of privileges. Exist in a nontemporal realm and has extensive powers. Capable of a single act of creation, which she expended to bring the vampires into existence.
- Sehclusion: Status conferred by the King upon a female of the aristocracy as a result of a petition by the female's family. Places the female under the sole direction of her ghardian, typically the eldest male in her household. Her ghardian then has the legal right to determine all manner of her life, restricting at will any and all interactions she has with the world.
- Shellan: Female vampire who has been mated to a male. Females generally do not take more than one mate due to the highly territorial nature of bonded males.
- Symphath: Subspecies within the vampire race characterized by the ability and desire to manipulate emotions in others (for the purposes of an energy exchange), among other traits. Historically, they have been discriminated against and, during certain eras, hunted by vampires. They are near extinction.
- The Tomb: Sacred vault of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Used as a ceremonial site as well as a storage facility for the jars of lessers. Ceremonies performed there include inductions, funerals, and disciplinary actions against Brothers. No one may enter except for members of the Brotherhood, the Scribe Virgin, or candidates for induction.
- Trahyner: Word used between males of mutual respect and affection. Translated loosely to "beloved friend".
- Transition: Critical moment in a vampire's life when he or she transforms into an adult. Thereafter, he or she must drink the blood of the opposite sex to survive and is unable to withstand sunlight. Occurs generally int he mid-twenties. Some vampires do not survive their transitions, males in particular. Prior to their transitions, vampires are physically weak, sexually unaware and unresponsive, and unable to dematerialize.
- Vampire: Member of a species separate from that of homo sapiens. Vampires must drink the blood of the opposite sex to survive. Human blood will keep them alive, though the strength does not last long. Following their transitions, which occur in their mid-twenties, they are unable to go out into the sunlight and must feed from the vein regularly. Vampires cannot "convert" humans through a bite or transfer of blood, though they are in a rare cases able to breed with other species. Vampires can dematerialize at will, though they must be able to calm themselves and concentrate to do so and may not carry anything heavy with them. They are able to strip the memories of humans, provided such memories are short term. Some vampires are able to read minds. Life expectancy is upward of a thousand years, or in some cases even longer.
- Wahlker: An individual who has died and returned to the living from the Fade. They are accorded great respect and are revered for their travails.
- Whard: Equivalent of a godfather or godmother to an individual.
Series & Lists edit
This is book 4 of 13 in Black Dagger Brotherhood. (standard series)
Preceded by Lover Awakened, and followed by Lover Unbound.
This is book 4 of 13 in Black Dagger Brotherhood (Reading Order). (standard series)
Preceded by Lover Awakened, and followed by Lover Unbound.
This is book 91 of 100 in AAR Top 100 Romances 2007. (authoritative list)
Authors & Contributors edit
- J. R. Ward (Author)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Onyx Books
Country: USA
Publication Date: March 6, 2007
ISBN: 978-0451412355
Page Count: 463
Publisher: Onyx Books
Country: USA
Publication Date: March 6, 2007
ISBN: 978-0451412355
Page Count: 463
Awards edit
- RITA Award (2008: Best Paranormal Romance )
- New York Times Bestseller printed list
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: CPB Box no. 2565 vol. 18
- Dewey: 813.6
Subjects edit
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