Dark Lover is the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. This series is based in the city of Caldwell, NY where the vampire race has a group of warriors that protect them by hunting lessers- an undead human vampire hunter association. Each one of the warriors have their own special skills and each of their paths finds them to their possible soulmate.

The books backbone main characters are the vampire warriors, and with that being said they are the main point of view that you will read. This book kicks off centering around Wrath. He is the king of the vampire race. He hasn’t been acting as a king because he believes in fighting the war against the lessers has more value. In in his place a group of the head of the main bloodlines has a sort of parliament with a regent who acts in his stead. Wrath is more of a soldier but fails to notice that he does have some good leadership skills. He is originally cold and distant. His primary weakness is that  he is blind and he is noted as being the last pure blooded vampire in the race. He is propositioned by his friend Darius, who is also a brotherhood member, to use his blood to assist in the transition because she is going to transition into a vampire. Wrath declines but after Darius is murdered he finds himself going ahead to assist her in the transition.

What I enjoyed was the vampire lore in this book. The vampires are truly different from any other series I’ve read. They are a humanoid race with enhanced taste, strength, hearing, and seeing. They do drink blood but only from their own race. The nourishment only comes from drinking from the opposite sex. They can eat regular food and they live to be about 1000 years old unless they are mortally wounded. They cannot go into the sunlight after the transition at twenty-six years old. They also have their own faith which centers around the mother of the race the Scribe Virgin. I like that Ward included a glossary so that she didn’t have to explain everything you can already know it as a reader.

Wrath and Beth have great chemistry. I like that she is strong minded and doesn’t just fall into his arms. Beth is relatable and is a really good main female lead. I adore Wrath. His character has a lot of depth and I think that Ward did a good job of making him more than just a tall, dark, and broody vampire king. Wrath knows pain and happiness.

I wish that we got more information about the faith. Because for a book series that has that in the beginning it sure would help to truly know more about it. This book has a great plot, sex scenes are delicious, character development happened, and I think that it had a great execution of leading to the second book! I give this book a five out five stars.