Two brothers bound by more than blood fight to change a brutal destiny in this novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Sold by his parents to the Queen of the s’Hisbe as a child, Trez escaped the Territory and has been a pimp and an enforcer for years. On the run from a destiny of sexual servitude, he’s never been able to rely on anyone…except for his … anyone…except for his brother, iAm.
iAm’s sole goal has always been to keep his brother from self-destructing—and he knows he’s failed. It’s not until the Chosen Selena enters Trez’s life that the male begins to turn things around…but by then, it’s too late. The pledge to mate the Queen’s daughter comes due, and there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no negotiating.
Now Trez must decide whether to endanger himself and others—or abandon the female he loves. When tragedy strikes and changes everything, iAm, in the name of brotherly love, is faced with making the ultimate sacrifice…
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I laughed I cried, I cursed; but most of all I fell in love with the boys all over again. Ward brought the brotherhood together in such a powerful way and reminded us that each of them had faced their own journeys, not always ending with the fairy tale happy ever after; but coming out stronger and fiercer because of them. I am not giving spoilers, you have to read the book. From beginning to end, each page brought you further into the brotherhood, the turmoil, the back stabbing, the strong bond of family and how dangerously close the war is coming to their front door. (Read in Oct of 15)
Rated
The Brotherhood and the Shadows.
Truly a great book. The main romance in this book is that of Trez and the chosen Selena. Though one thing that I really like about these BDB books is that each of them don’t just focus on the main romance storyline, they have other storylines being set up, ongoing storylines that go from book to book, and so much going on in every single book.
It is a genius way too keep people interested and wanting to read more. Otherwise 20+ books (Black Dagger Brotherhood and Black Dagger Legacy), that are 500-600 pages would get too be way too much after a while. I took about a 5 month break after 11 books and even now that I am back to them, I am thinking two at a time is plenty before I read something else for a few weeks or so. However, I know that I will go back to them for certain because I just have to know what happens in some of these ongoing storylines and if certain people will end up together.
The next book is The Beast and this book is setting that one up, because Rhage and Mary play a big role in this book. Rhage is having some odd attacks that may or may not be related to stress and anxiety. I love the story of Rhage and Mary because he is as hot as a blonde God, his nickname is Hollywood because of his movie star good looks, but he fell in love with an average looking woman. It is usually the other way around, where average looking guys end up with fabulous looking women (though they usually are average looking wealthy guys) so not the same thing at all. It is just nice to see.
An ongoing storyline in this book is the continuing saga of Assail, the drug dealer. I had high hopes for him and Sola in the last book, but she wanted to get away from a dangerous and illegal lifestyle, and as much as Assail loves her, it doesn’t seem to be enough to give up his drug dealing. And what is it sometimes with these rich men in books? How come being rich is never enough? They have to keep making more money even though we know they could never spend it all. Once you have millions or billions, the money just sits there making more by itself from investments and interest I would think.
Assail is getting in trouble with the Brotherhood in this book because they found out he is selling to the enemy. The lessers are using the money they make on the drugs they get from Assail, to buy automatic weapons for their war against the vampires. I don’t really get it since in the drug trade, I’m sure there are plenty of buyers that aren’t people who want to kill your race. It’s like selling bombs to terrorists, but people do it. I am hoping Assail sees the light and stops, because I still want him to end up with Sola. I loved the interaction between her Grams and Assail, Avale and Ehric.
The story of Xcor and Layla continues in this book also. Xcor and Layla meet often and he has blackmailed her into agreeing to be with him. Though Xcor won’t take her while she is pregnant since he is not gentle and doesn’t want to hurt the baby. Layla is riddled with guilt about meeting with him. Though she tells herself she is doing it for the King, the Brotherhood and the cause, we as readers know that she really wants him but doesn’t want to want him.
Layla also has a storyline with Qhuinn and Blaylock since Quinn is the father of her baby. That gets interesting as well, but I’m not going to give anything away as to why. I try to stick to only background information in my reviews so the reader and I (as I look back on my own reviews), can see what the book is about without giving away what actually happens.
Another storyline is the ongoing struggle between Quinn and his brother, Luchas. After the massacre of many of the Glymera, including Qhuinn’s parents, Luchas was taken by Lessers and shoved in a drum with the black sludge from the Omega, having had his bones all broken. Then the Lessers forgot about him with all the changes of the forelessers. He Brotherhood found him at some point and he has been in the clinic at the mansion since Doctors Jane and Manny have tried to fix him in a very lengthy and painful process. Luchas feels guilt for how he treated Qhuinn and wants to die.
I personally think Luchas wants to die for two reasons aside from his guilt. The first is because he is a wimp and doesn’t want to go through more pain (though his pain is terrible, I think any of the Brotherhood would go through it). Second because if he doesn’t completely heal he will think of himself as less, like he always thought of his brother because Qhuinn had two different colored eyes.
The main story centers around Trez and Selena. Trez is one of the Shadows. They are an offshoot of the vampires that have a lot of the same Vampire traits like strength, speed, ability to dematerialize etc. However, they are dark skinned, they can bend shadows to conceal themselves, they can go out in daylight, they eat their prey after a fight (cannibalistic), and the Brotherhood is happy to have them on their side, so they must be tougher than the vampires as well.
Trez and iAm come from the s’Hsibe which is a colony of their people near the colony of Sympath’s in the North, near the Canadian border. Nobody leaves the s’Hsibe, but Trez escaped and iAm followed years ago after their parents sold Trez to the Queen to be the mate of her daughter who will one day be queen. The reason the s’Hsibe didn’t just accept the loss and get another guy forth Princess is because they have strange customs regarding things written in the stars and apparently their astrologists looked at the stars and decided that Trez was the anointed one, so the s’Hsibe are coming for Trez soon.
The S’Hsibe have other customs like the fact that Trez would be basically owned by the princess and would be basically a slave and not able to leave his gilded cage. Also they have strict mating customs, like having to be clean and they bathe before and after the act. If they knew about all of the women Trez had been with, they will either kill him or put him through some sort of cleansing that may or may not kill him.
Trez has fallen for Selena and in this book he finds out her secret and she finds out his. It is a very emotional book, but their romance is sweet in a way that is different than most. Everyone in the Brotherhood does whatever they can for them, including longtime friend Rehvenge and iAm.
There is a storyline about iAm in this book also, which I am glad about since in the past we have seen him always doing things for his brother, pretty much devoting his life to save Trez, not only from the s’Hsibe but from Trez himself and his self destructive behaviors. It was nice to find out more about iAm as a person rather than just an extension of Trez.
There is also a storyline related to the s’Hsibe Queen’s executioner. His name is s’Ex. He is built like a brick building with abs, and though he understands the two brothers, he is sworn to his duty, so he tells them he will kill in order to get Trez back when it comes time. Though he does take some bribes in order to help them stall for time. He is a very interesting character in his own right. He is covered from neck to feet in the white tattoos of their people, made from poison ink. Most males have a small one with their family insignia on themselves and get extremely sick after having it. Trez and iAm can’t imagine how strong he must be to be covered in them. I hope he gets a mating story at some point.
The ending of the book was awesome. I think this was one of the best so far. My other two favorites so far are Lover Awakend, the story of Zsadist and Bella and Lover at Last, the story of Qhuinn and Blaylock. I liked Zsadist’s story because he is so fearsome and angry but he protects Bella so awesomely, and Lover at last because it was the single hottest male/male love story I have ever read and I had been wanting Qhuinn and Blay to fix things between them for a long time.
I loved this book. It broke me. I cried and cried while reading it. Highly recommend.
I can never explain the world that JR Ward has created for people who have never been there… And it is truly a PLACE. Every detail from the city of Caldwell, to the good guys, to the bad guys, from the immensely evil to the insanely pure, everything is explained with such ease and clarity, the reader is transported into the fiction that is the Brotherhood of the Black Dagger. I LOVE that each book is dedicated to the telling of one of the brothers. Each story is woven into the entire world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood so that you can’t read one book without seeing the story of other characters. To me, this makes it even more personal. It’s like going to a far away country that you’ve heard of, but never visited, and seeing people that you know there while you learn about this new place/person you are getting to know on a deeper level. The Shadows continues this exploration into the characters that live in and around Caldwell. This book centers on the two brothers of a different race than the normal BDB books (which are mostly centered around the vampires.) But their stories are still so central to the telling of the rest of the characters, I had always hoped to learn more about these two. JR Ward never disappoints. This is the only author that I will purchase a book at full price the minute it becomes available. She is just that good! Besides, I miss seeing my friends and a new book means I get to spend a few days in Caldwell…
One of the very best series out there!! Highly recommend these well written stories and characters!! JR Ward’s is outstanding at building and blending this incredibly sexy, paranormal world!
Though this story ends with a happily ever after, it is not the one I was expecting. The main storyline is sweet and tragic and the side stories equally captivating. Many times life is unfair and unfortunate and this story reflects this. Good story, but the tears were flowing.
Awesome, a must read could not put book down.
Great series.
My favorite BDB book! Love the Shadows.
This book gave me all the feels and broke my heart again. I had forgotten how heartbreaking and sad this book was. Before reading this make sure you have tissues on hand because you will cry big ugly tears. This book puts you through the ringer and has you feel everything.
This book switches it up and focuses on the brothers Trez and iAm. Trez is dealing with the realization that her queen, Selena, is dying a horrific way and there is nothing they can do about it. iAm is trying to help his brother and keep him from being taken by the H’sbe. He is also dealing with his attraction to a shadow named maichen, who is more than she appears.
I knew from reading the previous books that this one was going to be heartbreak. Ward leaves clues that Selena is very sick and it isn’t going to be pretty. That said, I still sobbed like a baby and from about page 475 till the last page. I was just a wreck. I stayed up late and so no one saw me crying over a fictional character. But Ward does an amazing job at conveying their emotions and happiness while they were together. They embraced their time together and made the best of it.
I know this isn’t the end of Trez’s story and that he is back in Where Winter Finds You but I am still heartbroken that he has to suffer. The BDB has been shaken to its core with Selena’s death and it will never be the same.
“Memories were especially dear, when they were all you had left of a loved one to hold on to.”
We see progress in the story with this book. Layla and Xcor’s hidden relationship has progressed but an event causes a rift between them. I am very interested in seeing how their relationship plays out because I don’t really remember it. The Band of Bastards have also lost a member and are still fighting lessers.
“She is…the moon in my night sky. And that is the beginning, middle, and end of it. There is no more to be told than that, and never shall I speak of her again.” – Xcor
Rhage is also featured a lot in this one. He is struggling to deal with the death of Selena because it reminds him so much of Mary’s death. He clearly has a lot of issues that need to be worked out which will happen in the next book, The Beast.
Ward also introduces Paradise, the daughter of Abalone, who is the heroine of Blood Kiss, the first book in the spin off series Black Dagger Legacy. I really liked her. She was smart, beautiful, organized, and determined to be her own person. She really reminds me of Marissa, because she is breaking away from the glymera’s mold of a woman and being her own person.
Overall, The Shadows is every bit as emotional as I thought it would be. Ward does an amazing job at providing emotional and powerful scenes that you will never forget about. While heartbreaking, I loved every minute of this book.
Book 13 Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward
This book has taken me ages to get around to ready and I really annoyed at myself for that.
This book is all about the Shadows twins Trez and IAm that are part of a vampire culture that relies on the stars for guidance and who is descendants to rule the s’Hisbe.
This book actually broke my heart in places but has a beautiful ending. Definitely gonna cracked on with others in series.
I find all of J R Ward’s books entertaining original erotic at times but always a great read. She is on my list of favorite authors.
The Shadows was an amazing read. I’m pretty sure it hit on every emotion I could have had. It was hard not to get wrapped up in everything!
JR Ward never disappoints!
I actually cried reading this book #allthefeels
I really enjoyed the first part of the book, but then it was just so sad, the chemistry and love between Selena and Trez was just so intense and although the end was predictable it was unfair and hard, poor Trez 🙁
As for iAm I really liked his story but it was short and seemed so rushed in the end, like it wasn’t as important as it really is, he deserves all the love and happiness after everything he had been through.
Paradise character was really interesting, I definitely love some girl power.
As for Layla and Xcor, I really expect for him to stop being such an insecure male and finally acknowledge he must fight for her.
Really intrigued by the beast…
Absolutely loved this one, I have read them all I am always looking forward to the next one but this book was unpredictable and that is why it’s one of my favorites
WOW! Just…WOW! J.R. Ward breaks our hearts in this amazingly brilliant installment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series!
I admit I did read the spoilers post that J.R. Ward posted on release day that gave away the ending of the book and the explanation of why she did it and why she wrote the book the way she did. J.R. Ward’s Spoiler Post I applaud her, and any other author for standing by their work and writing the story that is, rather than changing the story to please the reader.
I’m sure every author would love to please every reader, but it’s just not possible. I admire anyone who’s ever written a book, regardless of whether I liked it or not.
J.R. Ward knew she would make a lot of readers angry and she wanted them to know the why of how THE SHADOWS went down. However, this reader abso-freakin’-lutely LOVED it! For one, because Ms. Ward is one of my very favorite authors and I would read anything she wrote, up to and including her grocery shopping list! And two, because life isn’t always wrapped up into a perfectly formed happily ever after. Granted, that’s why many of us read romance books; to escape the pain of reality in order to fulfill our needs of love and happiness, through fictional characters.
Trez and Selena’s story is not wrapped up with a nice pink bow. It is not all sunshines and rainbows. It is a brutally honest testament to the strength and power of real love.
Now, I like the Shadows—Trez and iAm—but I wasn’t too vested in Trez or Selena’s characters before THE SHADOWS. So I wasn’t too angry at the book’s outcome, especially since I had a heads up from the author’s spoiler blog post. I did ball like a baby though on several occasions as well as laugh out loud many, many times. I felt the book exceeded my expectations and I was very happy with its outcome…except for Xcor and Layla’s relationship.
I am ALL for the Xcor/Layla train to finally arrive but the WARDen (J.R. Ward) is really putting my emotions through the ringer with this one. (view spoiler)
As with all of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, there are several other storylines happening at the same time. I loved them all! It’s hard to write about EVERY character in the BDB world so the WARDen does what she can.
We are treated to Rhage’s point of view as well as Paradise, daughter of Abalone, the First Advisor to the King. Assail also gets a little page time as well as points of view from Xcor, Layla, s’Ex, iAm, maichen, Throe, Mr C. aka the Forelesser and Luchas, Qhuinn’s brother.
We are also treated to a brief appearance by the Scribe Virgin and a few new characters that I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of in BLOOD KISS—the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood Legacy series that will be out this December, focused around the reopening of the training program—Peyton, blooded son of Peythone and Craeg, six feet, seven inches of sexy civilian vampire whose lineage is a complete mystery. Sola, Assail’s human love interest, and Saxton are noticeably absent from the book.
There is a lot of sadness in this book, but there are also A LOT of funny parts. From Lassiter doing a Magic Mike-style dance against a foosball table to Rhage’s crazy commentary and physically aggressive pat-down techniques and Xhex’s female bonding skills, it was quite a riot! The comic relief was also a great balance to the serious aspect of the story.
I highly recommend this or any books by J.R. Ward. She is a fascinating storyteller and ALWAYS leaves you wanting for more!
I’d like to leave you with a small passage from THE SHADOWS that will hopefully put a smile on your face and encourage you to pick up the book. Trez is taking Selena out on a date and the women of the house, including Xhex, have come to help her get ready. So without further ado….
Marissa spoke up. “My hellren told me, actually. And he heard it through Vishous.”
“That you’re going on a date,” Beth finished. “And we thought you might like some beautification.”
Cormia put her palms out. “Not that you aren’t beautiful enough.”
At that point, there were lots of oh, no’s, totally beautiful’s, and only if you wanna’s—and all Selena could do was put her hands up to her cheeks. “I was just going to put on robing and do my hair as prescribed.”
“Boring,” Xhex said. As all the girls sent her looks, she threw up her hands. “I told you I’m not good at this stuff! God, why did you make me come up here?”
Beth turned back around. “Selena, you always look lovely, but we have some contemporary clothes for you to consider, ones that are maybe a little more—“
“You’ll look like something other than a window drape.” Xhex rolled her eyes. “I know, I know, I’ll shut up from now on. But it’s the truth.”
“I look like drapery?” Selena said, glancing over to the swaths by the windows that had just un-shuttered themselves. “Is that bad?”
© J.R. Ward
Man, I love Xhex! Get the book…and some tissues!
Original review: https://myshelfbooks.wordpress.com/2019/07/07/the-shadows-j-r-ward/
I can’t remember when I read the last book of the Black Dagger Brotherhood saga. I left it aside without any reason, so now I want to catch up with it. The author has been working non-stop with this saga and there is a lot of books I need to read. I’m not a skipper, so I will read all of them. Besides, this saga wasn’t meant to be skipped. It is mandatory to read them in order, so that you don’t get lost.
This time we don’t follow just one of the male heroes, but two of them at the same time! Yes, I’m talking about Trez and iAm, the Shadow brothers. Trez and Selena are out and proud as a couple, but she has a mortal disease nobody knows how to cure. iAm, as the loyal brother, tries to help however he can and, in doing so, he meets his mate in the most unexpected of places. Wll Trez forever be happy with Selena without triggering the anger of the s’Hisbe? Will iAm be happy at last? Anything could happen…
First of all I must say that, for being a book with two heroes and two main plot threads, the story is mostly uneventful. I’m not going to say boring, because it would be a lie; but it lacks action and real character development everywhere. The main problem rests in the fact that the author doesn’t really focus on Trez and iAm. Yes, most of the book is for them, but a really huge portion of it is used as an appetizer for the stories to come: Xcor and Lyla, Rhage, Assail, Paradise or Throe have also several chapters dedicated to them. Even though they are mere prologues, I don’t like that they are that far into their stories when their book is yet to be told… On the other hand, if you remove those, you get a very unremarkable story with Trez and iAm, so… Maybe she told us too much about the Shadow and Selena in previous books?
Most of the story of Selena and her hellren could be consider just a filler. Chapters and chapters about Selena having some good last days before dying. I like how sweet Trez is fighting against his fears to make her happy, but that is just not enough for this kind of book. There is a moment in the story where things could get interesting with the s’Hisbe Queen reclaiming Trez, but it actually gets resolved pretty quickly and without much of a fight. For a story cramped with ass-kicking warriors, there is a surprsing lack of anyhting resembling an action scene. That being said, I must also congratulate the author on the ending of that main story. I would have never in my life have expected something like that in a Romance book. A bit cruel, but kind of sweet for a reader tired of getting always the same.
Much more disappointing is iAm’s story. Is this book going to be all? It felt rushed, unimaginative and a lost chance for what could have been a really good plot. iAm’s first time with a woman shoukld have been epic. It should have had the proper dedication and care, instead we are told about that first time almost behind the scenes. It is a tremendous moment for the character, but it is treated as any other relationship of the saga. I like the couple a lot, but this book is not enough. Not by a really long shot. Too bad everything seems sealed and delivered… Lazy storytelling for something so huge. It makes iAm look like a third rate character…
The other stories are not so important to make a full review, but they are actually nicer than the main ones. I really want to read once and for all Xcor’s and Lyla’s story, because by the time they get a book, everything will be already said and done. It’s the same feeling thet I have got with the last books of this saga: the story of a charater is very interesting until it gets its own book. I don’t want that to happen with Xcor, but it looks like that is the path it has taken… I hope I’m wrong.
I can’t finish the review without mentioning how annoying I find Vishous’ addiction. He is always smoking. This is the second book (if I recall properly) that he has been politely asked to stop smoking in a place where it is forbidden doing so and he has refused. I find that so extremly rude that that Brother is climbing fast, fast on my list of characters I can’t stomach. First in Haver’s hospital, because V hates the guy and it seems he can’t be an adult about it and then in the local of one of his friends, because it seems respect is something he doesn’t understand. And everytime he smoles in the clinic… It drives me nuts!! I’m not looking forward to a second book with that guy…
Next is another book for Rhage. Will he find the source of those weird panic attacks he is suffering? Hollywood is one of my favourites. He never fails to make me smile.
bookshelves: adult, paranormal, suspense, romance, 0-n-order-by-athr, shared-2-amazon, shared-2-facebook, 2shr2bkbub, 2shr2google
The Shadows by J.R. Ward
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense
5++ Stars
From the very 1st word to the last, this book moves.
There are no slow parts.
It immediately grabs hold of you & refuses to let go.
I laughed.
I cried.
I soared.
I could not stop reading.
I have read so many of J.R. Ward’s books, but this one………Wow. There are no words to describe it. With this book J.R. Ward has surpassed ALL other reads for me.
Amazing. Superb. Beyond Outstanding.
She deserves an award on this book alone! I cannot say enough about how absolutely Phenomenal this book is.
And yes, you will need tissue, but don’t let that stop you from experiencing this book. You will not regret it.
Oh! And be prepared to have your heart completely Annihilated!