Darius

Black Dagger Brotherhood, #0

By J.R. Ward

ISBN# 9781668035382

Author’s Website:  jrward.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heid

Review

*Beware of spoilers*

This is the story of the Brother that made the Black Dagger Brotherhood what it is today, well until the time hop anyway.  He had dreams of the Brotherhood living together under one roof, designed the mansion for that purpose.  However, he never got to see it happen in his lifetime.

This is the heartbreaking tale of Darius.  How he found and lost his one true love, and fought to protect the daughter that they created together even after he lost his own life.

Anyone that has read the Black Dagger Brotherhood books know all about Darius.  However, he lost his life in the very beginning of the series.  Before any of us truly knew him.  And, this is his story.  We finally get to know him.  And from the very beginning I knew this was going to be a tear-jerker.  All I had to do was read the introduction from him.

“Let me share with you the most important sentences:

When I first met her, I did not know she would be my one true love.

When I fell in love with her, I did not know she would bear me a daughter on her deathbed.

When I died, more than twenty years later, it would be while trying to save the life of our young. On a rainy night. When the tears I could no longer shed fell from a disinterested Caldwell sky.

Those are the real details of me.”

After reading those words, I was heartbroken before I had even begun this story.  Nevertheless, those are the kinds of stories I love and crave.  The emotional ones that bring you to your proverbial knees.  This story was all that I expected it to be, but it was also such an amazing account of Darius’s life.  It was about love and sacrifice and knowing that whatever pain you must deal with, you would do it all over again for those you love.

Darius lost his mate about ten months after finding her, the majority of that time was spent apart because she found out what he is.  He was waiting for her forgiveness, for her to understand.  However, that understanding and forgiveness came too late.  And, because of their enemies he couldn’t even care for their daughter in the way he wanted.  To openly care for her, would have been a death sentence for her.

This book filled me with so many feels.  And, I loved it so much, but you are never really ready for a story like this.  No matter how ready you *think* you are. 

I was a bit surprised it didn’t delve into Darius’s own death and how he came to look over Beth through John Matthew.  That was just glossed over.  I would have liked it to have touched on that a bit more to bring everything full-circle.  However, the book was so good.  And, I like to think that Darius is finally truly happy in the Fade with the one he loves, watching over the young they created.

Now I have a hankering to re-read Wrath and Beth’s book, Dark Lover.