This was a light, fun that I finished in a single sitting - but I think perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I had read all of the previous books in the series. I have read a few of of J.R Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood books in the past but the series has obviously changed a lot since the last time I checked in - this just isn't the kind of series where you can read the books out of order. There is a lot of assumed knowledge connected to the world building and events in past books. While I was able to piece things together enough to enjoy the story, I think it would be much more enjoyable for the longtime fans.

An engaging and fast paced romance with plenty of action - a guaranteed hit for fans.

I'm a BDB fan, but I'm not feeling this series so much. Two love stories in this one with mentions and visits of our veteran vamps which I love. Not sure what else to say, maybe bring on the next one. This one was entertaining enough but I felt it was lacking something for me.

I struggled with this book. I think the Brotherhood world has come to an end a few books ago and this only reinforced my feelings. This sadly will be the last I read of this series.

4 stars!

It’s always so exciting to go back to the Black Dagger Brotherhood compound, and I have been SO excited for this book! Trainees Peyton and Novo have had a simmering chemistry for a while now, and I’ve been waiting for it all to happen for them. And Saxton and Ruhn? Yes please!

Peyton is an aristocratic playboy jokester. He’s the party boy with the smart mouth who has previously been drooling all over his friend and fellow trainee, Paradise. But with her now mated, he is feeling a bit lost and confused by his feelings. He’s always shared a flirtation with Novo, desperate to get his hands on the strong, fierce female, though she seems completely emotionally closed off. Until one tragic night in the field sees him re-examining everything he thought he knew about himself.

Novo is a badass, pure and simple. She shows now weakness and no emotion, and she has thrown herself into her training because it’s pretty much all that she has in the world and it distracts her from the memories that haunt her. She has forced her attraction to Peyton to be physical only, but when he begins to show her his deeper, caring side, she can’t help but begin to feel for him as well, unleashing pain and secrets from her past which she has tried so hard to buy.

It’s a hard road for these two, with both of them initially so closed off to their feelings, but I loved watching things begin to change. Peyton stole my heart as he started to move on from his party lifestyle and fight for what is important, but I love that he retained his jokey smartassery, which was lots of fun. Their story is surprising and not without conflict, but I love how they opened up to each other and (eventually) let it happen.

As always, there is a secondary story this time focusing on Saxton and Ruhn. Saxton is the legal counsel to the king, and the ex-lover of Blay, and after seeing him having his heart broken (and now seeing it all up close and personal), I really wanted a happy ending for him. And when Ruhn became a part of the Brotherhood ‘family’ as Bitty’s Uncle, and the two males had a moment, I was so excited!

I loved Saxton and Ruhn’s storyline. Working together on a property dispute on behalf of the King, they spend a lot of time together. Saxton is openly gay, but Ruhn has never been with a male, but that does nothing to diminish their mad chemistry – or Ruhn’s mad skills – and just… damn! Again, they have some obvious hurdles to overcome, but their relationship is functional, sweet and swoony, and I loved seeing these two ‘proper’ males lose all control together and openly embrace everything that is happening between them.

But as happy as I was to see Saxton finally getting his happy ending and couldn’t have been happier with his love story, I would have liked some more focus on Peyton and Novo’s story because I feel like it could have had a bit more ‘oomph’ to it. I love them together, and there are a lot of issues to overcome, I wanted to dive into that a bit more.

But having said that, there are no other plotlines to interfere with the two main stories. The brothers all make an appearance (including some epic moments from Wrath – seriously, that male just give me shivers!), but it’s all focussed on our two main storylines which, which I really appreciated.

Another fantastic addition to the series, and I remain eager for more.

4 stars!

Blood Fury shows the type of writing that first drew me to J.R.Ward’s amazing Vamps. I’m thrilled that she finally decided to give Saxon the HEA he so deserved and we have all looked forward to Peyton’s story too. Ward of old best describes this latest instalment of her newest series and the spin-off to the BDB sagas. I only hope this series continues to wow readers and doesn’t fall to the same fate of the BDB books, and become mindless dribble.

I will acknowledge straight up that I jumped into a series way too late here and so I know nothing about the politics/relationships/characters/world. Yet I wanted to give it a go anyway. Unfortunately I found the writing difficult to flow with, as it was always telling me things instead of showing me via character's actions, and the way the characters related to each other felt wooden and unrealistic.

I may try this series again from the beginning in the future rather than jumping into a random one, but at the moment it is definitely not on my radar.

The Black Dagger Legacy series is SO good. I love finding out more about with the new recruits but equally love the storylines of the older characters. I'm glad Saxton & Ruhn found each other <3

The way I start a book by J. R. Ward is always, always, by reading the glossary of terms at the beginning. I read every definition, particularly if it's a new one that has never been used before as, more often than not, those definitions become key points of the story that is being written.
And this time was no different.
I read definitions about avhenging, lys, chrih, rythe, wahlker and I wondered what this book had in store for me.
Ward's writing was easy to dive into, like returning to a routine you hadn't realised you missed and I read slow at first, savouring every moment until I just couldn't put it down.
Peyton and Novo's relationship, from the start, held my attention of course – it was wicked, blunt and exactly how I imagined the two reacting to the possibility of being together. Ward, again, expertly ties in new characters' romance alongside characters introduced in both the original and spin-off series; it is one of the main features of the BDL series that I really, truly enjoy.
And that brings me to Saxton and Ruhn. Oh, the two darlings who I absolutely loved to pieces – Ward ties in real-world issues within paranormal confines, presenting it in such a way that I was deeply moved by the more tender scenes between the two and elated as their relationship progressed. I would very much love to see more of these two soon, as it was quite an amazing relationship to read about.
The relationships throughout the book also held a very realistic quality about them (realistic in the terms that they were well-paced and still held the core essence of most relationships between two people) and I felt that grounded the book a lot more, which made it a lot more enjoyable to relate to (as much as a paranormal romance about kick-ass vampires could be relatable, of course.)
I also did very much enjoy the explorations into the platonic and familial relationships the main characters had also. It was nice to learn more about the family dynamics both within and outside the glymera – I feel we have only really touched the surface of those relationships within the BDL series and am very much looking forward to learning more about them in the future.
I highly recommend this book and cannot wait until it's official release date!