Lover at Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood)

Lover At Last is the 11th book in the popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series by American author, J.R. Ward. While the main plot concerns the relationships of Qhuinn, Blaylock and Layla, there are several subplots: Xcor and his band are still attempting to unseat the King; emerging drug-dealer Assail encounters the enigmatic Sola Morte, a woman sent to spy on him; Shadow Trez is trying to shirk duties to the s’Hisbe princess; Wrath is making changes to Old Laws and trying to retain his sovereignty. Qhuinn manages to be praised as heroic and condemned as irresponsible in equal measure. As always, there is plenty of action: someone is almost strangled to death; someone who doesn’t know how to, flies a plane; a love affair ends, several others keep simmering and at least two new ones begin; Qhuinn’s vision of the future is seemingly threatened by a miscarriage; a bulletproof vehicle is comprehensively wrecked; some unwanted landscaping on a major scale is done; a new forelesser is inducted and makes major changes; someone comes out; a member of the glymera is beheaded; someone is kidnapped; someone gets shot in the chest; Qhuinn makes a grisly discovery in a cabin in the woods; there is a new Brotherhood induction and the bigotry and pretentiousness of the glymera is felt on several levels. There is quite a bit of angst and a lot less of the banter between the brothers that BDB fans know and love. Ward is not afraid to include masturbation, male/male sex (+++), voyeurism and group sex: the sex scenes are, as always, hot! Fans of Ward’s Fallen Angels series will pick up on mentions of characters and places. At 591 pages, this is quite a brick and by the time Blay and Qhuinn finally do get it together emotionally, fifteen pages from the end, most readers will indeed be saying “at last!!!” Ward leaves a few storylines hanging so readers will be eager to revisit the series in the 12th book, which is the first without Lover in the title, called The King. Addictive, as always.