Dark Lover

The Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1

By: J. R. Ward

Narrated by: Jim Frangione

Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

The first novel of J. R. Ward's New York Times best-selling Black Dagger Brotherhood series features a unique take on vampire lore and heavy doses of sensuality.

The vampire Darius fears for the life of his half-breed daughter, who is unaware of her unusual destiny. To oversee her transformation, Darius seeks help from Wrath, a dangerous loner and the world's only purebred vampire.

©2005 J.R. Ward (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

love this series

love this series I can never put it down..need to get the rest of them now

J.R. is the Real Thing

Dark Lover is the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood and this book will have you addicted with the first chapter. I love Alpha Male characters and the Black Dagger Brotherhood, delivers that and than some.

Beth is a half-breed that is unaware of her vampire heritage until she meets Wrath the last purebred vampire. The attraction that is sparked is instant. When I first read this book, I wanted more and J.R. Ward doesn’t let you down. She delivers a very well written book with thrills and steamy romance scenes.

Jim Frangione does an excellent job delivering the story in his rich baritone voice. The story is worth a read; Jim makes it worth a listen.

Oh yeah!

Great vampire fantasy world and interesting characters. I think I will like reading this series.

OH THE PAIN!!!

great story, but the narrator was just awful! If he had Kate Reading by his side, this might have been really amazing! His male and female voice was practically identical! Oh how I wish I had time to read the books.

Can't stop 'reading'

Where does Dark Lover rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would rank Dark Lover up with the best! The reason for this is because it was like I was part of the story line or in the room while the book was happening.

What other book might you compare Dark Lover to and why?

I would have to say a cross between Fifty Shades and a Vamp book.

Have you listened to any of Jim Frangione’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any of Jim Frangione's other performances before and I love how he does the different voices including the women's. At first I wasn't sure if I would like the set but due to the voices I am totally in love.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When good beats evil. Gets me every time.

It gets better....I swear. Stick with it.

This is the first book in about a 15 book series (and counting, with a a spinoff). I write this with the caveat that I read the book long before I ever listened to it on Audible. I was much younger when this series started and even back then I kind of rolled my eyes at the character names and the "tough-guy macho language." I actually think that listening to it does it a disservice - Jim is a great narrator - just NOT for this series. Hearing the "dude-bro" phrases come from him sounds disingenuous, hokey, and even a little grating. Reading it in your own head, with your own voices, I think helps.
I have read a lot of people complaining that "these guys have lived centuries, they should speak with eloquence" etc. ect. But that is the point here if you get through this first (admittedly, not-the-best-in-the-series) book: There is an upper-crust echelon, and these guys are NOT them. They are the protectors of the race. They are the badasses and they roll their eyes at the fluffy High Society that they protect - as the series progresses, the delineation of the classes becomes a sub-focus of the novels. So in context, it makes sense. Again though, it sounds silly coming from this narrator. Try, if you have a minute to pick up the book and read it yourself, because until you get to know these males, I understand why you may not like this series. But if you stick with it - even to the next book (God Rhage is my absolute favorite) it improves greatly.

One of the best vampire series out there!

This is one my most favorite vampire series for adults. I listened to the first book and now I'm hooked for sure. Jim Frangione is the voice. I think the series would not be as great if Mr. Frangione was not a part of it. Somehow, his voice has become one with it. Warning! If you start this series you will probably become hooked and go through withdrawal at the end.

Satisfactory If You Like Vampire Books

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Maybe, if the friend liked listening to romance novels with vampires.

Did Jim Frangione do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

He did an okay job, but nothing about his narration stood out as outstanding either. Many of the characters of the same gender sounded similar, and I wasn't impressed by any attempts made towards accents.

Any additional comments?

The writing was adequate, although sometimes I found it a bit colloquial. For a book with several characters that are over a century old, one might expect a bit more archaic nuances to their speech and behavior patterns; this oversight made some of the characters a bit incongruous to their characterization. Some plot points felt a bit rushed, and there was oversimplification regarding the emotional experiences of some characters at times. The overall story was more interesting, including the details of the vampire race and the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Ultimately, there's entertainment value in this book, and it's the first part of a series if you're looking to get into one, but there are better vampire romances out there if that's what you're interested in.

j R Ward

More than ok with anything she writes. It's all good. Need more faster. Too hungry.. wish they would make into a movie.

GREAT SERIES--EVERY BOOK!!! Best Vampire story!!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of Dark Lover to be better than the print version?

I LOVE the narrator! Hope JIM F. NEVER stops narrating the series! Can't imagine anyone else but Jim, for the series!

What did you like best about this story?

I love EVERY book & every aspect of each book!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I can't tear myself away from any book in this series! Once I begin listening, I can't stop!

Any additional comments?

I've never enjoyed a series as much as the Black Dagger Brotherhood (BDB)..The author can't keep up with my eagerness for the next book...Can hardly wait for another BDB 'fix'
I'm addicted! So well written, I can see everything in my mind! Ms.Ward, just write the books as fast as you can, for all of us who enjoy everything about this series!!!