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    The King: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
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    The King: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
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    The King: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
    Audiobook22 hours

    The King: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood

    Written by J.R. Ward

    Narrated by Jim Frangione

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    J.R. Ward's # 1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood continues as a royal bloodline is compromised by a grave threat to the throne.

    Long live the King…

    After turning his back on the throne for centuries, Wrath, son of Wrath, finally assumed his father's mantle--with the help of his beloved mate. But the crown sets heavily on his head. As the war with the Lessening Society rages on, and the threat from the Band of Bastards truly hits home, he is forced to make choices that put everything--and everyone--at risk.

    Beth Randall thought she knew what she was getting into when she mated the last pure blooded vampire on the planet: An easy ride was not it. But when she decides she wants a child, she's unprepared for Wrath's response--or the distance it creates between them.

    The question is, will true love win out... or tortured legacy take over?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 1, 2014
    ISBN9780698149502
    Unavailable
    The King: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
    Author

    J.R. Ward

    J.R. Ward is the author of more than sixty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. There are more than twenty million copies of her novels in print worldwide, and they have been published in twenty-seven different countries. She lives in the south with her family.

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    Reviews for The King

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    • 3/5
      Reviewed by: Rabid ReadsBefore I start my (rant) review I’d like to put things into perspective; last year when LOVER AT LAST came out I called in sick, and finished it the same day. Now, I didn’t LOVE it, but it was still a 4 star read. For THE KING, I woke-up at 2:30 AM—patiently waited until it was actually available for download at 3 AM—and dove in. I’d anticipated a long day of uninterrupted reading, but after a couple of hours I could barely keep my eyes open, and gave-up. Ok, so if you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m a BDB fangirl. I’m also no virgin to all-nighters, so the fact that Ward put me to sleep after two hours was a very bad sign. THE KING felt like a short stories anthology with a Beth & Wrath novella at the end. I enjoyed the latter, but unfortunately I had to push through 400 pages of meh first.The BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD series is renowned for its gangsta slang and shameless product placements, and never have the two been as apparent as in THE KING. The author went a little overboard with these two elements in my opinion, and I found this book a more difficult read because of it. But, those weren’t the only reasons why I struggled to finish this twelfth installment; there were also too many side stories, not enough brother moments, and too much “filler”. It took me FIVE DAYS to finish this novel! Need I remind you that I devoured LOVER AT LAST in one, and it too was pushing 600 pages. Reading the first 3/4 of this novel was a chore, I was dangerously close to do-not-finishing it on several occasions. And, what exactly is Ward’s problem with Miley Cyrus!?I found the multiple story lines very confusing because not only does the POV change from chapter-to-chapter, but there were subsections within each one with even more character perspectives, and none of them really went anywhere. I enjoyed the flashbacks to Wrath’s parents, and the way that the author connected them to the present king’s circumstances. iAm and Lassiter were a-m-a-z-i-n-g in this installment, and I liked Beth and Wrath’s story once I finally got to it. As for the rest—Trez and Selena, Xcor and Layla, Assail and Sola, and… s’Ex(!?!)—I couldn’t have cared less. There’s very little actual brother action in this book, in both the fighting and the cameo appearance departments, which I found hugely disappointing. I was so psyched when Blay and Quinn made their first post LOVER AT LAST debut—only to not see them again for the duration.I haven’t DNF’d a book in years, I’m too type-A to be able to leave anything unfinished, but THE KING came dangerously close which pretty much says it all in my opinion. I still plan on reading the next installment, however it will not merit a sick day this time around. In fact, I might just wait until it’s available in paperback because this one definitely wasn’t worth the inflated price tag.
    • 5/5
      So I have been itching to read The King ever since I heard of its release. I am such a fan of Wrath and Beth. These two are so solid together and I think what held me back from reading this one was the multiple plot lines. And even though the other plot lines weren't something I really had a huge interest in, probably because I haven't touched base with some of the later books in the series so I was a bit lost at times. So I didn't get too involved in some of them. I was slightly intruged by Xcor and Layla, just because I saw them in "The Beast" and I do know they have a book of their own so I was curious to see what happened between them in this one. Some of the other characters we see that play a pivotal role in this book are:Wrath and Anya---I loved loved this side plot line. We get a chance to take a glimpse into the love that Wrath's parents shared for each other. There are some heartbreaking moments of course, but we see how strong they were together and love seeing where Wrath comes from and his legacy.Trez-I didn't have much interest in this character at all...I was having a "meh" feeling with himAssail-I had a hard time with this one, just couldn't connect and mostly skimmed when I realized I had little desire for this character or the plot line Ward includes.Then we finally have our beloved Wrath and Beth. Now these two are struggling a bit. Wrath is busy with his Kingly duties and we see how its really putting him down. He is struggling still with being King and trying to live up to his parents, most especially his father. But when Beth shares her strong desire to have a baby, Wrath is over the top against it, to the point that it divides this lovely pair in a way they have never been divided. They both really struggle but ironically this is not the toughest battle they will have to face together. And man I think I fell in love with this couple even more strongly before. “I want you to know something,” he said into her hair. As she went still, he tried to pull something worth hearing out of his ass. Some string of words that were even in the same zip code as what was doing in his chest. “What?” she whispered. “You are everything to me.” It was so incredibly, totally not enough- and yet she sighed and melted into him like that was all she wanted to hear. And a bag of chips. Sometimes you got lucky. We see how they struggle with challenges after getting their "HEA" from Dark Lover. We see the way they become even stronger even if its tough for them to get there. I love seeing how their relationship grows into a more stronger bond and how both Beth and Wrath become even better people because of the challenges they are faced with. “You have given me something ... I didn't even know I needed. It's the greatest gift I will ever receive--it's, like, completing me already in places I wasn't aware were empty. And yet ... in spite of all that? I don't love you one bit more. You are as important to me as you've always been." He curled down and pressed a kiss to the loose shirt she was wearing--it was one of his, actually, and wasn't that great. "I was wholly bonded to you before this, and will be after this--and forevermore." "You're going to make me cry again." "So cry. And let me take care of you. I got this.” Its so poignant and tender in moments that will make you tear up because the moments these two have can be heart wrenching but also so romantically sweet and powerful. J.R. Ward definitely delivers on all the feels.
    • 5/5
      BRAVO!!! Oh how I love Wrath. But now I love him more. Oh my I had a few good cries with this one. J.R. Ward, you rock my socks with this series. This book is one of the very best! I sincerely hope there are more to come!
    • 5/5
      Loved this book! It answers some questions while it creates many more. You will be unable to put this book down until you finish it!!
    • 4/5
      I ended up enjoying this more than i thought I was going to at 3/4 in. There were at least 4 storyline running through this book with the main one being about Wrath and beth. This storyline I loved but the of the other 3 whilst I did mostly enjoy them and find them interesting, I also thought the pulled away from the main Wrath/Beth story a little too much.I also thought that the last few chapters felt quite rushed like the author was in a hurry to get to the end. This made it a little hard to completely appreciate all the nuances of the ending. I liked the parallel story of Wrath's parents that ran along side the main storyline though it did confused me a little at first with all the Wrath son of Wrath bit and over all. Whilst I am not immediately reaching for the next book in the series, i did enjoy this one and will probably be reading the next instalment in the near future.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this one, I thought it was excellent. Revisiting Beth and Wrath was great, as far as I'm concerned, Ward can revisit the entire cast. I didn't mind the side stories, it's what Ward does. And she does it well enough to hold the attention. I especially appreciate the way Ward comes up with the solutions to the problems of her characters, without it being too neat. During the book, I'm always wondering how the characters will get out of their problems and at the ending I'm always left satisfied with the well-thought out solutions. Another great one, guess I'll have to buy the next one too...!
    • 5/5
      LONG LIVE THE KING!!! This book reminds my I love this series so very, very much!!!
    • 3/5
      Serious props to "JennyJen" and "bookaholic cat" whose reviews are excellent! YES! Exactly! You nailed it! Thanks for the laugh and the validation of my thoughts.I did enjoy the story because I'm always suckered in by the likeable characters Ward creates. I do like the idea behind why they are all so possessive and protective, etc. (personal weakness of mine) and I like that they are all like a big family. I think that's what keeps bringing me back, although I do wish the author would improve her craft. It really is getting ridiculous.
    • 5/5
      I love BDB books! This one wrapped up a lot of loose ends, yet opened up so many more... bring on the next book... I gotta know what happens!!
    • 3/5
      I wasn't honestly sure how I would feel about this book, because it focused on Wrath and Beth, and I've never been a huge fan of them (I barely got through Dark Lover). But I was pleasantly surprised with this book. Although I'm still not a big fan of the couple by any stretch of the imagination, I feel like I got to "know" them better. Wrath's inner turmoil about the kingship and all of the stress involved with that was particularly well done, I think.Poor Saxton. I've never liked him all that much, because he just seemed a little too perfect. Ward really shows that his homelife, however, is anything but perfect, and I felt incredibly sorry for him. I hope that he has a happy ending one of these days, because he has it pretty rough. His own father said that he hated Saxton because he's gay, and, well, that hit a little too close to home for me. And can I say how pissed off I am, really, that there's so much homophobia in vampland? Ugh. I know that they aren't exactly modern, but it's really a downer.This book also made me like Assail and Sola. I wasn't really sold on them in the last book, but I like them as a couple now even though they aren't together, haha. I'm sure that will change in the future.Also, Xcor. Verily. ;) I love his character and really wish that he had more facetime in this book. He doesn't do much of anything except toward the last third of the book. I really want to see how he and Layla work out, because I want it. Badly. Also, the part with him shopping in the mall for better clothes was HILARIOUS.LOL medical mistakes. I know that Ward isn't a doctor, but come on. The ob/gyn does her own ultrasounds? Yeah, okay. That happens almost never, especially with a busy practice. That's why there are sonographers (like me ;) ). And what was the fuckery about how Doc Jane (who doesn't know jack shit about anything except trauma and intrasurgical ultrasound, I am sure, which are definitely different beasts than ob/gyn) couldn't do an obstetrical ultrasound because the machine didn't have 3D capacity? LOL the public is so very, very misinformed about my career. 3D ultrasound is "entertainment" ultrasound, for the most part; it doesn't do much in terms of diagnostic obstetrical ultrasound, except in very limited cases (a tumor, or oomphalocele, or myelomeningocele, for example). And what was up with Doc Jane saying that Beth might have placenta previa? Honey, that girl had more than one ultrasound, and it was never seen. The placenta doesn't just uproot itself one day and decide to implant elsewhere in the uterus.The whole ending, to me, felt rushed and crammed. I really think that the material here could have been spread over two books, but I'm not sure that I would want to read two books about the events in this book, if that makes any sense. Not really digging the Trez/Selena set up going into the next book, but I'm hoping for some more Xcor action. ;D
    • 3/5
      Number 12 in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Wrath is finding the duties of kingship difficult enough but when Beth announces that she wants a child things don't go well. I do love this series but found this one disappointing. Too many distracting side stories and the time period was far too rushed. Such a shame.
    • 5/5
      really good but left me wanting to know what else happened
    • 3/5
      SPOILERS!Wrath, King of the vampires sits uneasily on his throne. Never wanting to be king, he is beset by the jealous glymaria and the Band of Brothers who form an alliance to destroy him. The good: It is good to revisit the story of Wrath and Beth and see where they are in their relationship a few years after Dark Lover. The on-going threat of the glymaria is finally confronted head on as is Wrath's reluctance to rule and father a child. The King also offers a few glimpses into the lives of Wrath's long dead parents. The relationship between Xcor and Layla, Assail and Sola and Trez and Selina are also explored. The bad: I don't normally have a problem with several different sub-plots, but this series is becoming bogged down with the multiple relationships. It would be better to shelve some of them for later books and focus instead on fewer of them. In trying to cover the six characters various relationships and stories the novel doesn't really focus on anyone in a satisfactory way.The King actually could have been a satisfying ending for the Brotherhood series. Unfortunately the series will probably chug along for many more novels. Hopefully the plot lines will become more focused and streamlined in future books.
    • 4/5
      I found this interesting several threads are being worked on and characters are trying to resolve issues that have been building over the past few books, several relationships are created and a few are made more complicated by several issues that have come to light. You can see how things that happen in this book will change the society of these long-lived people and how things will never be the same again. Wrath finds out more about himself than he ever thought possible and his life will never be the same again.It's an interesting read that I enjoyed, though I think at least one of the threads could have been their own book and story. The stories are becoming almost too complex and interwoven, concentrating again on just one couple would have made this a better read for me.
    • 4/5
      A poor ending of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Lots of flashbacks to the Kings childhood. Written well, just not what I was looking for.
    • 5/5
      There were so many POVs in this book. Some I enjoyed others not so much. I really don't understand why the whole Sola/Assail storyline was included in this book, cause honestly I don't think it added anything to what was going on with the King. I felt bad for what Beth and Wrath were going through both personally and professionally. At times it was downright depressing. I really liked seeing a little more into iAm and Trez. Those two guys completely need their own book. As for Layman and Xcor....something needs to happen. This little "thing" that they got going on has been stretched long enough. That all being said...I still really liked it, not loved, just a really strong like.
    • 3/5
      This novel-length (LONG novel-length) work operates mostly as filler for the series, and did not hang together as a novel. In terms of what this book did to the series: The King advanced several characters' stories, filled in some history, and did a little bit of worldbuilding for the s'hisbee ("Shadows"). But it feels more like a companion book, than a stand-alone novel. Ward isn't breaking any new ground here, either. Along with revisiting established couples (basically, Wrath & Beth), Ward is also rehashing themes & plot points from earlier novels. Girl gets kidnapped & rescued (Bella #3, Sola #10); girl is dying (Mary #2; Selena #10); hard-core drug dealer with a drug problem of his own is rehabilitated by the love of a good woman (Rhage #7, Assail #10); the son who is despised by his parents for some failure (Qhuinn, various; Saxton #10 -- and since Qhuinn & Saxton were cousins, whose other cousin turned out to be a Big Bad that slaughtered Qhuinn's family, you'd think Saxton would be looking good by comparison ... ). There were a few things I liked thrown in the mix: I'm a fan, generally, of post-HEA examinations of future trials and problems. If I liked the characters, I'm happy to revisit them and see how they confront other problems. I liked the idea that they solved a LOT of problems by summarily eliminating the monarchy. But then Ward completely undercuts the value of and interest in that move by having the peasants elect Wrath as king-for-life. Shades of Elected Queen Amidala. The affected writing style -- intermingled hip-hop slang; weird spellings of death metal words; and very poorly constructed "old Vampire English" -- remains consistent. References to current popular products proliferate, and if the consumer fetishism wasn't enough to despise, Ward throws in a lot of trash talk about current popular culture, too. And what's with the hate for Miley Cyrus? It seems like pointless slut-shaming, and actually Ward's writing has an ugly amount of misogyny, generally: Trez reflecting on the ugly flab on the human he's fucking; Beth thinking how she hates women who get drunk ... Women are generally idolized because they stand by their men. And, FWIW, the woman trained in the erotic arts who remains a virgin is a stupid idea that should just die. Anyway, if you're having trouble digesting a variety of different points thrown at you in this review, please note that this review is actually less disjointed than the book.I finished it, and will keep an eye out for future ones, but because I'm a completist. Future books in this series will be on my "skim" list.
    • 5/5
      This latest installment in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series is another winner. There are a lot of story lines going on at once, which is typical in this series. The main one is that Beth wants to have a baby but her mated King Wrath does not. That sounds like a minor issue but in this race of vampires carrying a baby to term and giving birth is very difficult. There is also the continuation of a number of threads from earlier books, however -- Sola and Assail, Xcor and Layla, Trez and Selena -- plus the challenge to the throne and John's unexplained seizures. Whew!! But in this 573 page book, almost NONE of it gets resolved!! Ah, but that is why I both love and hate Ward. She provides such rich tales that span many books before they are resolved so, even if there is one happily ever after, there are always some that leave you hanging and wanting more. Hence the love. The hate? I don't want to wait so long for the next book to find out what is going to happen!! I want to know how all of these arcs will be resolved and I just know that is not in the cards. It could be 5 more books before this all wraps up! And you know what? In the end that's fine by me. If she keeps writing, I'll keep reading. You'll want to start his series from the beginning if you haven't read any of the series yet to get the full effect.
    • 4/5
      Listened for Review (Penguin Audio)Overall Rating: 3.50Story Rating: 3.25Character Rating: 3.75Audio Rating: 4.00 (Not part of the overall rating)First Thought when Finished: The last quarter of The King by J.R. Ward bumped the rating from a 3.00 to a 3.50, it was a very good way to end that story.Note: This will probably be my last BDB book for awhile. I think my love affair with these characters has gone. That isn't on J.R. Ward. She has been very consistent these last few books in how she is now telling these stories. There is just too much going on for me and not enough quality time with the lead characters of each book. That is just a personal reading preference. Many people (including my mom) still love this series! That means I will always have access to the books should I choose to come back. So instead of going into why this just doesn't work for me anymore (It is me, not the books), I am just going to do an audio review.Audio Thoughts: Narrated By Jim Frangione / Length: 22 hrs and 4 mins I love Jim's narration of this series. He makes the slang a little less annoying. He makes me smile with his ability to show the brotherhood at their best and show their camaraderie. I also like his ability to make the bad guys, pretty darn bad. I do recommend these on audio (if you haven't already been reading them). I think it would be harder for someone who has only been reading the series to jump in though because I guarantee that some of the characters will sound different in your head.Final Thoughts: Despite my problems with the story (or the sheer amount of them), I did love the ending. I think the series is about to turn a corner and it just might be really good!
    • 2/5
      This is yet another book by J R Ward that would have been better broken down into novellas and perhaps an anthology. There are not as many side stories as there have been in the past, but so many issues have been left unanswered. I have not read the last book, and no, it was not for moral purposes...it was because I had lost interest in the series. However, I thought this book might pique my interest, so I went ahead and read it without back-tracking. Had I read the last book I might have had a *better* understanding who all these tertiary characters are (I knew on some level, but just not enough to make the connections clearer)...so I recommend if you have not read Lover at Last, you do so.-------------------> SPOILER <--------------If Wrath wanted to take harm away from him and his family then why seemingly accept the Kingship for life when he was really doing the right thing by turning them into a democracy? I feel the JR went for the flash instead of using common sense about this maneuver.-----------> END OF SPOILER <--------------------------The stories as taken separately are very interesting and is was nice to see so many of the old faces, but I think that a book about the King and what he has to overcome when he is being thrown over, shouldn't have been muddied so much by secondary and tertiary stories.This book left me saddened and disappointed, but yet, sort of excited to see if the next books will be taken back to the more romantic genre like Ms Ward started with, or in this newer direction to see if she gains a new audience while losing her old one.
    • 4/5
      A little too monotone for my taste. Overall it was a great read(listen?).
    • 3/5
      I have to start this off by saying I love J.R. Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhoood series. I wanted something to listen to while driving back and forth to work so I thought I'd listen to The King.

      I wish I could say it was good but, it wasn't. I would go so far as to say it was really BAD.

      The narrator is so monotone. Even though I've read the books several times, I couldn't figure out who was talking to whom, until he (the narrator) said a name. He mispronounced words, he didn't speak with an accent, his women sounded like men, etc. Just very disappointed. I would have loved to add the audio books for the BDB to my collection, as I have done with J.D. Robb, Diana Gabaldon, and Karen Marie Moning. However, that will never happen unless someone(s) new start narrating her books. I don't know how much sway Ms. Ward has over picking the narrators for her audio books but, I thinks she's probably popular enough now to decide who is going to narrate and bring her characters to life.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book. not as much as the others, but will probably listen to it again.
    • 5/5
      Oh how I've waited for this book! First of all, as someone who wants another child desperately but my husband doesn't, I connected with Beth on that level very deeply. So, I was very invested in the story. I was positively weepy through some parts. I loved the little glimpse into Blay & Quinn too, I love them. I'm intrigued to know more about Trez and iAm, but I'd also like to get more of Xcor and Assail's stories. And learning more about the history of Wrath and his parents was a great addition to the book. All in all, as with all the BDB books it didn't disappoint.
    • 2/5
      Well, that was really boring. I was very close to giving up this book and the whole series but Rachel C. convinced me that the next book is better. So I forced myself to skip though this one eventually.

      What this book clearly lacks is the action. In fact, there is also no some more developed plot. In addition to the dilemmas of Beth and Wrath regarding having offspring and the not too extensive political thread that, to be totally honest, is just a continuation of what was already in the previous book, nothing happens. There is no decent intrigue or battle scenes. On nearly 600 pages! And as much as I hate the excess of drama in my books, here I would gladly welcome a bit of it. This book is just dull and boring.

      Don't get me wrong! I like Beth and Wrath, I really liked their story in the first book. But I would prefer that this volume focus on someone else and small inserts about other characters are insufficient. Also, there is such an ridiculous moment when all couples have sex, one after the other. Chapter by chapter! This is really absurd and bizarre!

      I did not plan to read the next book, but with good recommendations I will give it a chance, although I may need a break right now.
    • 5/5
      This is part of a series. Some series have books that can stand alone, but not the Brotherhood series. I've been reading each installment as it came out, and it keeps getting better. The narrator did a terrific job - Jim Frangione
    • 5/5
      fantastic!
    • 5/5
      I had to go back from the beginning of the first book to understand and learn about the other characters. The part they all played and also to know why the reference of the older country king and the reason for the distrust and why the present king did not initially want the throne. While going through from book one up till the thirteenth book. Now, having gained the full reasons for the analogy of the past meeting with the new that and how next race will become of their own free will. It is quite an entertaining and comforting with all the trials and tribulations that the king and his family went through in the hands of their race or the Glymere. For the first lady or the queen of their race, beating the Glymere at their own game all that, was taken from the king was an overtime both gained back more. I give the book five stars; it is fun spending the time listening, reading and learning more. This is one of the best works of this writer, and I enjoyed every bit of it.
    • 5/5
      All is not well in the court of the Vampires, there is declension on the minds of the elite and forlornness in the ranks of the commoners. Not everyone is happy with the current reigning monarchs and the sh-t is about to hit the fan.Wrath son of Wrath has had tons on his plate to deal with since taking the throne left empty since the brutal death of his parents 300 years ago when as a young pre-tran orphan he was adopted by the Black Dagger Brotherhood and raised to be one of them. But the last place he thought he’d ever have discord was from his beloved shellan, wife Beth. She wants a baby and he’s got to put his foot down with an unequivocal NO!J.R. Ward’s BDB novels not only keep getting better, but they also more in-depth into the structure and foundation of her Vampire society adding more sub-races and more twists with each volume. In The King she’s outdone herself, her recognizable street-talk may be the same, the fighting’s just as brutal, the brothers just as big but it’s her attention for detail that will reign. And just like when she outted the Chosen and pretty much closed down the Scribe Virgin’s realm this novel is another game changer. So take a nitro tablet before you sit down to take in this nail-biting, edge of your seat page-turner, turn up the volume of the best Rap station and go! And when you finish you’ll just want to go back to page one and start all over again.Long live the queen of paranormal romance!
    • 3/5
      The King by J.R. Ward(Book #12: The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series)Source: PurchaseRating: 3/5 stars**contains spoilers and a rant**The day I have long feared has finally come to pass; today is the day I have to admit that I didn’t absolutely, head over heels love a Black Dagger Brotherhood novel. Yes, dear reader, this makes me one very, very sad panda I have long supported the BDB series and with the exception of Phury’s book (he’s a serious whiner!) I have loved each and every read. The characters are rich and full-bodied, the plot lines – both short- and long-term – have remained fresh and exciting and the dialogue and naughty bits have always kept me well entertained. So, why then, does The King, a book that should be phenomenal fall flat? Plainly put, the plot is seriously lacking.This installment I found to be only marginally interesting at best. There is a lot of rehashing going on in this read and quite frankly, I am getting a bit tired of it. Yes, we know Wrath hates being King; yes, we know Trez and iAm are up to their butts in trouble with their people; yes, we know Beth wants a baby; yes, we know the Glymera hate Wrath and his kind and want them gone; yes, we know Assail has a serious crush on Sola and he is addicted to drugs and; yes, we know WHO John Matthew is so just spit it out already and stop dragging out the damn drama. I am not suggesting the entire read is a rehashing of old events but a large portion is and the rehashing isn’t balanced out by new material. Quite simply, I feel like I have already read a large portion of this book in previous installments. Continuing with this line of thought is my frustration over the lack of any long-term plot and/or character development. It’s more than time to move forward with some of the smaller plot lines so do it! Finally, I found the ending to be completely lame and a total waste. Are you kidding me? After decades (centuries!!) of hating Wrath and wanting to take his throne, Xcor just quits and with a bunch of falsely created documents and a single vote, centuries of vampiric traditions are gone, wiped away?? This ending felt like a cop out to me; as if, there were only X number of pages available for text and once Ward got near that limit she just threw together something quick and easy that is far, far, far from satisfying. Now that I got that out of the way! There are some things about this read that I did truly enjoy. For example, Trez and Boo the cat are so endearing; Sola’s totally oblivious grandmother cooking and caring for two hardened and stone-cold killer vampires is pretty awesome; the story of Wrath’s parents is nice to FINALLY know and; Wrath stepping up and finally becoming a true and proper king to his people is heartwarming. Unfortunately, these things are such a small part of the read as to be almost insignificant and that is also extremely frustrating.The Bottom Line: I am trying to figure out why it took a year to get this book completed and on the market. With the incredible amount of rehashing and small amount of evolution, this could have been done and ready for readers a lot sooner. Am I done with the BDB? No, not quite yet but the next book is the make it or break it read for me. Should the next installment in the series be as inadequate as The King then I will I have to say goodbye to a series that I have dearly loved for many, many years and that too makes me a very sad panda :(