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Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp #1
The Jackal
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sinner brings another hot adventure of true love and ultimate sacrifice in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world.
The location of the glymera’ s notorious prison camp was lost after the raids. When a freak accident provides Nyx clues to where her sister may still be doing time, she becomes determined to find the secret subterranean labyrinth. Embarking on a journey under the earth, she learns a terrible truth—and meets a male who changes everything, forever.
The Jackal has been in the camp for so long he cannot recall anything of the freedom he once knew. Trapped by circumstances out of his control, he helps Nyx because he cannot help himself. After she discovers what happened to her sister, getting her back out becomes a deadly mission for them both.
United by a passion they can’t deny, they work together on an escape plan for Nyx—even though their destiny is to be forever apart. And as the Black Dagger Brotherhood is called upon for help, and Rhage discovers he has a half-brother who’s falsely imprisoned, a devious warden plots the deaths of them all…even the Brothers.
The location of the glymera’ s notorious prison camp was lost after the raids. When a freak accident provides Nyx clues to where her sister may still be doing time, she becomes determined to find the secret subterranean labyrinth. Embarking on a journey under the earth, she learns a terrible truth—and meets a male who changes everything, forever.
The Jackal has been in the camp for so long he cannot recall anything of the freedom he once knew. Trapped by circumstances out of his control, he helps Nyx because he cannot help himself. After she discovers what happened to her sister, getting her back out becomes a deadly mission for them both.
United by a passion they can’t deny, they work together on an escape plan for Nyx—even though their destiny is to be forever apart. And as the Black Dagger Brotherhood is called upon for help, and Rhage discovers he has a half-brother who’s falsely imprisoned, a devious warden plots the deaths of them all…even the Brothers.
477 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 18, 2020
2391 people are currently reading
19152 people want to read
About the author
J.R. Ward
221 books52.5k followersJ.R. Ward is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels, including the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. She lives in the South her family.
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July 17, 2019DID YOU SAY Rhage's HALF-BROTHER?
Take.All.Of.My.Money.
Take.All.Of.My.Money.
September 13, 2020
A slow start and I really thought I was going to hate this book, but in the end, like most BDB books, I ended up happy with it. SorrynotSorry
So this one is about a girl who is TSTL in the beginning of the book that decides to go into a prison to rescue her sister who was innocent. Of course, this was a highly guarded vampire prison and she had no training other than her karate lessons at the YMCA, but hey, she is totally qualified for this rescue mission. She read The Art of War! According to this logic, we all have a shot of breaking someone out of a maximum security prison as long as we have a backpack with a gun, some protein bars, and a toothbrush. No problemo.
The good news is that if we do this, we are also likely to meet the love of our lives in that prison. Yeah, baby, prison sex with an incarcerated murderer! What could be sexier? Oh, I'm sorry, I mean what could be more romantic?
Here's when the book lost me for a bit and I had to put it down and walk away for a while: So, she meets this guy, who is just dreamy, and he agrees to help her in exchange for sex. Um, okay, I guess he's tired of the same old-same old. But, before the great sex, he just happens to have a room in the prison with a warm running waterfall and a cave-hot tub. REally??? A bubbling mineral spring? That's why he's so hot - nice pores. Yeah, and she needs to immediately bathe of course because she's been there for a couple of hours. Uh huh. Commence porn music.
He brings her food. What a guy, but it's his provisions, and she fucking eats his food!! What the hell? I mean, A: She just got there, how hungry could she be? B: She has food in her backpack, maybe she should be the one offering something to the prisoner? She probably one of those kids at Halloween who won't share their candy but are happy enough to share yours with you.
So, they are now in love. *sigh*
We are introduced to several characters in the book. One who is described reminds me of Lassiter, so he might be from Ward's Fallen Angel series, and one who is "wolven". Finally!!!
We've been in a vampire world without werewolves for waaaaay too long. I mean, it's about fucking time.
Oh, the sexual tension is killing me!
Anyhoo, it turns into a bunch of prison-break scenes and yada-yada-yada, I was okay enough with it after I got past all of my wtf's.
There is also a bunch of flashbacks to Rhage back in the ye' old days. It was pretty boring, which isn't surprising because the ye' old days sound boring as fuck. I mean, no internet, cell phones, or Netflix. No wonder those people died so young. I would have wanted to kick it by 30 too. I want to kill myself when our power or internet goes out for the evening. Ugh!
Oh god, no! It's more important to me than my children!
All in all, it was okay as a catalyst for future storylines. I am looking forward to more about a couple of the other guys.
So this one is about a girl who is TSTL in the beginning of the book that decides to go into a prison to rescue her sister who was innocent. Of course, this was a highly guarded vampire prison and she had no training other than her karate lessons at the YMCA, but hey, she is totally qualified for this rescue mission. She read The Art of War! According to this logic, we all have a shot of breaking someone out of a maximum security prison as long as we have a backpack with a gun, some protein bars, and a toothbrush. No problemo.
The good news is that if we do this, we are also likely to meet the love of our lives in that prison. Yeah, baby, prison sex with an incarcerated murderer! What could be sexier? Oh, I'm sorry, I mean what could be more romantic?
Here's when the book lost me for a bit and I had to put it down and walk away for a while: So, she meets this guy, who is just dreamy, and he agrees to help her in exchange for sex. Um, okay, I guess he's tired of the same old-same old. But, before the great sex, he just happens to have a room in the prison with a warm running waterfall and a cave-hot tub. REally??? A bubbling mineral spring? That's why he's so hot - nice pores. Yeah, and she needs to immediately bathe of course because she's been there for a couple of hours. Uh huh. Commence porn music.
He brings her food. What a guy, but it's his provisions, and she fucking eats his food!! What the hell? I mean, A: She just got there, how hungry could she be? B: She has food in her backpack, maybe she should be the one offering something to the prisoner? She probably one of those kids at Halloween who won't share their candy but are happy enough to share yours with you.
So, they are now in love. *sigh*
We are introduced to several characters in the book. One who is described reminds me of Lassiter, so he might be from Ward's Fallen Angel series, and one who is "wolven". Finally!!!
We've been in a vampire world without werewolves for waaaaay too long. I mean, it's about fucking time.
Oh, the sexual tension is killing me!
Anyhoo, it turns into a bunch of prison-break scenes and yada-yada-yada, I was okay enough with it after I got past all of my wtf's.
There is also a bunch of flashbacks to Rhage back in the ye' old days. It was pretty boring, which isn't surprising because the ye' old days sound boring as fuck. I mean, no internet, cell phones, or Netflix. No wonder those people died so young. I would have wanted to kick it by 30 too. I want to kill myself when our power or internet goes out for the evening. Ugh!
Oh god, no! It's more important to me than my children!
All in all, it was okay as a catalyst for future storylines. I am looking forward to more about a couple of the other guys.
December 23, 2020
God! New awesome book cover and spinoff series!
I think I am in love with Rhage's half brothers' blue eyes...
From #1 New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward comes the start of a captivating new Black Dagger Brotherhood spin-off series set in an underground prison where only murderous and thieving creatures dwell.
Released on August 4, 2020
I think I am in love with Rhage's half brothers' blue eyes...
From #1 New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward comes the start of a captivating new Black Dagger Brotherhood spin-off series set in an underground prison where only murderous and thieving creatures dwell.
Released on August 4, 2020
September 17, 2020
Bloody fantastic!!!!
I am a huge fan of this series and this addition was just as amazing as the rest. I love the Brotherhood, their adventures and their personal stories - The Jackal is another brother that I just know I will adore as the stories progress, I already love his book!!
Highly recommended if you love vampires and their stories, J.R Ward is an amazing author!
I am a huge fan of this series and this addition was just as amazing as the rest. I love the Brotherhood, their adventures and their personal stories - The Jackal is another brother that I just know I will adore as the stories progress, I already love his book!!
Highly recommended if you love vampires and their stories, J.R Ward is an amazing author!
June 4, 2021
4 stars
I really wanna get back into the BDB world, but I can't bring myself to read Lover reborn (Thorment's book - because it feels too early to have him with someone else - I just know I'm either gonna hate him for moving on and think he was a phony because he was with Wellsie for hundreds of years but moves on after a mere couple years, or I'm gonna hate him for not loving Autumn aka No'One the way she deserve to be loved - that woman went through a lot) as well as Lover at Last (cause I hate Qhuinn and how he treated Blay - not to mention all the spoilers I got about them in future books make me hate him even more)
I know that eventually I will finish the original BDB but in the meantime, the spin-offs are calling my name.
This book was what I needed. It wasn't exactly the kind of energy I wanted (more murder and danger would have been nice) but overlooking that, I liked the plot and the MCs as well as the supporting characters. (my only complaint is that the next book is gonna be about Locan and not Apex - the whole murderous and mysterious vibe that guy has going - I'm here for it)
Another thing to mention was that I liked the heroine and how capable she was.
I mean ... she did try to break into a prison not knowing anything other than its location - and she did pack a toothbrush as arsenal?! - she also didn't think to bring any guns or knives until her grandad gave her some- BUT all that aside she was a normal amount of strong and smart. I was onboard.
I really wanna get back into the BDB world, but I can't bring myself to read Lover reborn (Thorment's book - because it feels too early to have him with someone else - I just know I'm either gonna hate him for moving on and think he was a phony because he was with Wellsie for hundreds of years but moves on after a mere couple years, or I'm gonna hate him for not loving Autumn aka No'One the way she deserve to be loved - that woman went through a lot) as well as Lover at Last (cause I hate Qhuinn and how he treated Blay - not to mention all the spoilers I got about them in future books make me hate him even more)
I know that eventually I will finish the original BDB but in the meantime, the spin-offs are calling my name.
This book was what I needed. It wasn't exactly the kind of energy I wanted (more murder and danger would have been nice) but overlooking that, I liked the plot and the MCs as well as the supporting characters. (my only complaint is that the next book is gonna be about Locan and not Apex - the whole murderous and mysterious vibe that guy has going - I'm here for it)
Another thing to mention was that I liked the heroine and how capable she was.
I mean ... she did try to break into a prison not knowing anything other than its location - and she did pack a toothbrush as arsenal?! - she also didn't think to bring any guns or knives until her grandad gave her some- BUT all that aside she was a normal amount of strong and smart. I was onboard.
December 13, 2021
Great characters, lot’s of action!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧
Romance: 💙💚🖤💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌍
Character development: 😳🤬😏🙃🥰
The heroine: Nyx - Her sister Janelle is in the hidden prison of the Glymera and has been there for many years. Nyx has learned self defense and fighting skills but has never been able to find the entrance to the prison. One night Nyx and her other sister Posie are driving and they hit something. It turns out to be a young man (pre-trans) who is dying and has information on how he escaped.
The Hero(s): The Jackal (a.k.a. Jack) - He has been in the prison for over a hundred years and was an aristocrat and a kind of architect/builder before he was put in the underground prison. He has learned everything there is to know about the prison and the prisoners. He has learned to become invisible.
The Story: Nyx meets The Jackal not long after sneaking into the Prison. They work out an exchange for him to help her find her sister. They end up in one tense situation after another while navigating through the prison. There are a lot of guards and the one in charge called “Command” who has some evil plans and is holding something over The Jackal. He took over after the majority of the Glymera were wiped out and he has kept many of the prisoners for much longer than their original sentences.
I really liked the whole prison world and the storylines. However, there were so many secrets that Jack was keeping, not only about why he was in prison, but he also keeps referring to the terrible things that happened to him. The more Nyx finds out about him, the more questions arise. I enjoyed the other prisoners as well, Apex, Mayhem, Lucan, and Cain. So many twists and turns.
Regarding the narration, I don’t know why J.R. Ward seems to like Jim Fragione so much. His voice isn’t deep and he sounds too old for the characters. Granted he is a great reader and my annoyance went away pretty quickly, but I get in to the story much more when I can relate the narrators to the characters. Also BDB is such a huge selling series you would think she could afford to have both a male and a female narrator.
Lastly, I liked all the secrets, but I was able to guess most of them before the big reveal. It wasn’t that there were too many hints like in some books, I just knew that things that could never happen in real life always happen in books, so I figured some of the main things pretty early on. But there were a few that really surprised me and the story was very good.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧
Romance: 💙💚🖤💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌍
Character development: 😳🤬😏🙃🥰
The heroine: Nyx - Her sister Janelle is in the hidden prison of the Glymera and has been there for many years. Nyx has learned self defense and fighting skills but has never been able to find the entrance to the prison. One night Nyx and her other sister Posie are driving and they hit something. It turns out to be a young man (pre-trans) who is dying and has information on how he escaped.
The Hero(s): The Jackal (a.k.a. Jack) - He has been in the prison for over a hundred years and was an aristocrat and a kind of architect/builder before he was put in the underground prison. He has learned everything there is to know about the prison and the prisoners. He has learned to become invisible.
The Story: Nyx meets The Jackal not long after sneaking into the Prison. They work out an exchange for him to help her find her sister. They end up in one tense situation after another while navigating through the prison. There are a lot of guards and the one in charge called “Command” who has some evil plans and is holding something over The Jackal. He took over after the majority of the Glymera were wiped out and he has kept many of the prisoners for much longer than their original sentences.
I really liked the whole prison world and the storylines. However, there were so many secrets that Jack was keeping, not only about why he was in prison, but he also keeps referring to the terrible things that happened to him. The more Nyx finds out about him, the more questions arise. I enjoyed the other prisoners as well, Apex, Mayhem, Lucan, and Cain. So many twists and turns.
Regarding the narration, I don’t know why J.R. Ward seems to like Jim Fragione so much. His voice isn’t deep and he sounds too old for the characters. Granted he is a great reader and my annoyance went away pretty quickly, but I get in to the story much more when I can relate the narrators to the characters. Also BDB is such a huge selling series you would think she could afford to have both a male and a female narrator.
Lastly, I liked all the secrets, but I was able to guess most of them before the big reveal. It wasn’t that there were too many hints like in some books, I just knew that things that could never happen in real life always happen in books, so I figured some of the main things pretty early on. But there were a few that really surprised me and the story was very good.
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October 14, 2020
2.5 stars.
I have noticed lately that the recent releases in the BDB series and the spin-off have, unfortunately, been pretty lackluster and boring to me. The Jackal? Pretty lackluster and boring.
When this starts off, Nyx is determined to find this secret prison to find her sister and help her escape. She believes her sister was wrongfully accused of her crime and is determined to get her. What threw me off about this book is that it takes place over only a matter of days. I honestly thought it was all one night until they mentioned that two days had passed. Two days and I'm supposed to believe there's that intense of a bond between the characters Nyx just met? Especially Jackal? I know the mating bond is a thing, but I really struggled with feeling any sort of connection between Nyx and Jackal.
I remember JR Ward talking about how dark this book was back during an event last year, and I had a hard time really feeling for Jackal and the things he went through. In my opinion, Zsadist's book was so much more heart-wrenching because it was written and developed so much better than this book was. Sure it was sad what Jackal went through, but I didn't find myself attached to him or feeling for him. Even his reasoning for needing to stay in the prison felt pretty detached for me and I didn't buy his urgent need to stay.
I also have no idea how any of the BDB guys, especially Wrath, had no idea this prison existed. Didn't Rhage know it was being built? I've read some other reviews and have to agree that there were some plot holes that just weren't fleshed out. That along with some characters that fell flat for me, I was definitely left not satisfied with this book.
I have noticed lately that the recent releases in the BDB series and the spin-off have, unfortunately, been pretty lackluster and boring to me. The Jackal? Pretty lackluster and boring.
When this starts off, Nyx is determined to find this secret prison to find her sister and help her escape. She believes her sister was wrongfully accused of her crime and is determined to get her. What threw me off about this book is that it takes place over only a matter of days. I honestly thought it was all one night until they mentioned that two days had passed. Two days and I'm supposed to believe there's that intense of a bond between the characters Nyx just met? Especially Jackal? I know the mating bond is a thing, but I really struggled with feeling any sort of connection between Nyx and Jackal.
I remember JR Ward talking about how dark this book was back during an event last year, and I had a hard time really feeling for Jackal and the things he went through. In my opinion, Zsadist's book was so much more heart-wrenching because it was written and developed so much better than this book was. Sure it was sad what Jackal went through, but I didn't find myself attached to him or feeling for him. Even his reasoning for needing to stay in the prison felt pretty detached for me and I didn't buy his urgent need to stay.
I also have no idea how any of the BDB guys, especially Wrath, had no idea this prison existed. Didn't Rhage know it was being built? I've read some other reviews and have to agree that there were some plot holes that just weren't fleshed out. That along with some characters that fell flat for me, I was definitely left not satisfied with this book.
August 18, 2020
So damn boring.
Just when I think this series can't get any worse, Ward proves me wrong. The hero and heroine were one dimensional cardboard cut-outs. This story actually reminded me so much of Prisoner of Night which I hated. Every book seems to have the same vibe now, nothing new. The characters are basically just copies of those characters again. A dull un-memorable hero and a heroine that bites his head off every chance she gets. And guess what? They fall in love in about two days. It's the usual insta-love formula and heroine that wants to be a badass like Xhex but instead comes across as being stuck up and full of herself. Her heroines used to have personality, whether that be kind and sweet (Layla, Autumn, Cormia) or intelligent (Jane) or feisty and stubborn (Beth) or ass kicking (Xhex), now they're just so badly written.
The Brothers weren't even in the book other than Rhage and a bit of V as usual. There was no point to this story, it adds nothing to the BDB world. The book isn't even 400 pages yet with the minimal plot, it could have been less than 100. The sex scenes were awkwardly written, I felt no chemistry between the characters and that ending... talk about cheesy. You've known him two days and he's the love of your love? The pop culture references were dreadful, there is one scene where The Jackal (which isn't his real name and no, we never find out what it really is or much about his past) wants to kiss Nyx and she goes through several film references in her head (yes really) to decide whether to go for it. He also starts off speaking in that old-fashioned way: the now, etc. But as the book progresses this seems to be forgotten about. Also, if only three years have passed since the Glymera raids, which makes no sense, how do the characters know about Cardi B among other things? The timeline is a mess.
There are various flashbacks in the book, which are mostly about Rhage transforming into the beast to defeat lessers despite the fact that if you've read The Sinner, this is now pretty redundant. It is also nothing we haven't read many times before. Ward has had ample opportunity to hint at Rhage having a brother, yet never did, meaning this is completely out of the blue. Very little attention was spent on this plot line leading to the reunion being very anticlimactic. Beth found a brother, Tohr did as well, Butch found a brother and sister, V a sister, this is repetitive now. Rhage also only gets three chapters in the present timeline which was disappointing. That being said, what about Z, Phury, Rehv, Tohr, etc? They never have a decent role anymore.
Basically, this book is insanely dull, features forgettable characters, very little of the Brotherhood, predictable plot twists and adds nothing to the world as a whole. If you didn't like the other Legacy books, you won't like this one. Save your money, go and re-read older books like Lover Awakened and The King instead. This isn't in the same class. The story has been drawn out to within an inch of its life and it's clear she's completely out of ideas now. Such a shame. It should have ended years ago.
Just when I think this series can't get any worse, Ward proves me wrong. The hero and heroine were one dimensional cardboard cut-outs. This story actually reminded me so much of Prisoner of Night which I hated. Every book seems to have the same vibe now, nothing new. The characters are basically just copies of those characters again. A dull un-memorable hero and a heroine that bites his head off every chance she gets. And guess what? They fall in love in about two days. It's the usual insta-love formula and heroine that wants to be a badass like Xhex but instead comes across as being stuck up and full of herself. Her heroines used to have personality, whether that be kind and sweet (Layla, Autumn, Cormia) or intelligent (Jane) or feisty and stubborn (Beth) or ass kicking (Xhex), now they're just so badly written.
The Brothers weren't even in the book other than Rhage and a bit of V as usual. There was no point to this story, it adds nothing to the BDB world. The book isn't even 400 pages yet with the minimal plot, it could have been less than 100. The sex scenes were awkwardly written, I felt no chemistry between the characters and that ending... talk about cheesy. You've known him two days and he's the love of your love? The pop culture references were dreadful, there is one scene where The Jackal (which isn't his real name and no, we never find out what it really is or much about his past) wants to kiss Nyx and she goes through several film references in her head (yes really) to decide whether to go for it. He also starts off speaking in that old-fashioned way: the now, etc. But as the book progresses this seems to be forgotten about. Also, if only three years have passed since the Glymera raids, which makes no sense, how do the characters know about Cardi B among other things? The timeline is a mess.
There are various flashbacks in the book, which are mostly about Rhage transforming into the beast to defeat lessers despite the fact that if you've read The Sinner, this is now pretty redundant. It is also nothing we haven't read many times before. Ward has had ample opportunity to hint at Rhage having a brother, yet never did, meaning this is completely out of the blue. Very little attention was spent on this plot line leading to the reunion being very anticlimactic. Beth found a brother, Tohr did as well, Butch found a brother and sister, V a sister, this is repetitive now. Rhage also only gets three chapters in the present timeline which was disappointing. That being said, what about Z, Phury, Rehv, Tohr, etc? They never have a decent role anymore.
Basically, this book is insanely dull, features forgettable characters, very little of the Brotherhood, predictable plot twists and adds nothing to the world as a whole. If you didn't like the other Legacy books, you won't like this one. Save your money, go and re-read older books like Lover Awakened and The King instead. This isn't in the same class. The story has been drawn out to within an inch of its life and it's clear she's completely out of ideas now. Such a shame. It should have ended years ago.
August 27, 2020
AFTER READING:
SPOILERS AHEAD, BE WARNED!
Well, I love Black Dagger Brotherhood world that is for sure, but I am not particularly fond of how Ward handles her storytelling. She spoiled this book by saying that Jackal is Rhage's brother during one of her book signings. There were a lot of plot holes a.k.a. shitty writing. The first; why Nyx didn't inform the King at the beginning of her quest? The second; how did they immediately knew that Jackal and Rhage are siblings? Because they have the same eye color? Wait, what? The third; it was mentioned that Jackal had a different birth name and it was never revealed what was it...
The positive side of this book is the backstory this book gives us. We saw Darius and Rhage in the flashbacks. I would like to see these flashbacks but with Rehvenge, Xhex, Marissa, Bella, and Autumn while she was still Rosalhynda...We are introduced to the first wolfen/wolven character named Lucan, and two vampires Mayhem and Apex. All three of them are potential leads. I liked the twist with Nyx's sister and with Peter being who he is, even though it was obvious.
I understand that this is a big book world but Ward should find someone who will help her with all of these plots and timelines she invented.
BEFORE RELEASE:
Jackal?
Okay, I get it. He is Rhage's half-brother. Nevertheless, he was never mentioned in the books. Honestly, I would love more if the main character featured in this book was either Luchas or Ehric or Evale or Marckus or Romina or even Nate. Just sayin'...
SPOILERS AHEAD, BE WARNED!
Well, I love Black Dagger Brotherhood world that is for sure, but I am not particularly fond of how Ward handles her storytelling. She spoiled this book by saying that Jackal is Rhage's brother during one of her book signings. There were a lot of plot holes a.k.a. shitty writing. The first; why Nyx didn't inform the King at the beginning of her quest? The second; how did they immediately knew that Jackal and Rhage are siblings? Because they have the same eye color? Wait, what? The third; it was mentioned that Jackal had a different birth name and it was never revealed what was it...
The positive side of this book is the backstory this book gives us. We saw Darius and Rhage in the flashbacks. I would like to see these flashbacks but with Rehvenge, Xhex, Marissa, Bella, and Autumn while she was still Rosalhynda...We are introduced to the first wolfen/wolven character named Lucan, and two vampires Mayhem and Apex. All three of them are potential leads. I liked the twist with Nyx's sister and with Peter being who he is, even though it was obvious.
I understand that this is a big book world but Ward should find someone who will help her with all of these plots and timelines she invented.
BEFORE RELEASE:
Jackal?
Okay, I get it. He is Rhage's half-brother. Nevertheless, he was never mentioned in the books. Honestly, I would love more if the main character featured in this book was either Luchas or Ehric or Evale or Marckus or Romina or even Nate. Just sayin'...
November 8, 2021
Now this is how you start a new series!!!! Loved The Jackal !!!! The storyline and awesome storytelling was JR Ward at her best. With a whole new set of intriguing characters that I loved from the get go. The jackal ( jack) was devilishly handsome with plenty of angst in his back story that had me falling in love with him for his strength, courage and genius while learning to live in a friggin hell hole that was the prison camp. But when Nyx and her sister accidentally hit a young man running from the prison Nyx learns were its hidden she goes in search for her sister who was imprisoned wrongly 50 years ago and that's were she meets up with the jackal. I loved Nyx! She has balls bigger then most men I know. I knew she was a bad ass bitch when she held a knife to Lucan's balls because he stepped over the line and no matter what the jackal said she was not leaving til she found out what happened to her sister. Their is a instant attraction between jack and Nyx and it soon leads to a once in a lifetime love. This had many twists and turns and a few WTF just happened and plenty of hot steamy moments with awesome chemistry between these two lovers and a couple of very interesting secondary characters that I need to know more about like the very scary and deadly Apex! He loves to kill, but I feel theirs more to his story and Lucan the wolven is sexy, evil,and dangerous hottie as well. I love this wolfy dude so much! Its a good thing his is the next book in the series!!!! I love JR wards humor that is sprinkled through out the book, but damned if she didn't make me tear up a couple of different times! She has a way of writing characters that seem like family so when they hurt ,I hurt too!
Until next time Luv's💞💋
Until next time Luv's💞💋
July 9, 2025
3.5 stars
I do like the premise and idea of the book, however I have problems with the execution of it all.
I liked the romance just fine, but I think that the story could have worked just the same with a longer period of time for things to transpire in. Which would have made the love story more plausible to me, rather than having everything happening in only three days. Such short insta-love situation don't work as well as it used to a few years back. People are evolving, mentalities are changing, so why are romance books still stuck on the past?
The action parts were too long or unnecessary detailed and not engaging enough for me. The plot could have been more developed and tense, more exiting and intriguing. It definitely had the potencial to be those things. However, the way it is, feels weak, basic, amateurish and vague. I expected more from J.R. Ward.
Also, I don't get why Peter the pretrans' age was never given, is he a child, a teenager, an adult man? It was unnecessarily confusing to me.
Rhage's side of things was also a bit disappointing. I do like Rhage as a character, and the scene with his daughter was beautiful, however some parts of his POV in the past were pointless and uninteresting. What's more, I miss the other characters in the series. I feel like we have had enough of Rhage, Vicious, Wrath and specially Butch for a while now, it is time to let other characters have some prominence.
Overall, I think the book could have been way more interesting than it actually is.
I have to add that the story is very reminiscent to the short story Prisoner of Night (BDB, #16.5), specially some scenes towards the end. Also, the character Janelle has similarities with female charaters in Rehvenge's and Zhadist's books. I would say that lately, there is a lack of originality in the last few books of the BDB world.
The Wolf (Prison Camp #2) - 1 star.
I do like the premise and idea of the book, however I have problems with the execution of it all.
I liked the romance just fine, but I think that the story could have worked just the same with a longer period of time for things to transpire in. Which would have made the love story more plausible to me, rather than having everything happening in only three days. Such short insta-love situation don't work as well as it used to a few years back. People are evolving, mentalities are changing, so why are romance books still stuck on the past?
The action parts were too long or unnecessary detailed and not engaging enough for me. The plot could have been more developed and tense, more exiting and intriguing. It definitely had the potencial to be those things. However, the way it is, feels weak, basic, amateurish and vague. I expected more from J.R. Ward.
Also, I don't get why Peter the pretrans' age was never given, is he a child, a teenager, an adult man? It was unnecessarily confusing to me.
Rhage's side of things was also a bit disappointing. I do like Rhage as a character, and the scene with his daughter was beautiful, however some parts of his POV in the past were pointless and uninteresting. What's more, I miss the other characters in the series. I feel like we have had enough of Rhage, Vicious, Wrath and specially Butch for a while now, it is time to let other characters have some prominence.
Overall, I think the book could have been way more interesting than it actually is.
I have to add that the story is very reminiscent to the short story Prisoner of Night (BDB, #16.5), specially some scenes towards the end. Also, the character Janelle has similarities with female charaters in Rehvenge's and Zhadist's books. I would say that lately, there is a lack of originality in the last few books of the BDB world.
The Wolf (Prison Camp #2) - 1 star.
September 30, 2020
Originally posted at:
I was very skeptical about this story initially and now all I want are more stories about these characters! Everything was so hopeless from the beginning that I had to power through quite a few chapters and wait for the story to get rolling. When it finally did, I didn't know what I would be in for and I loved every minute of it!
Nyx was a bad*ss of a heroine! I liked that she didn't take anyone's crap and that she fought for what she believed was right with the information she had at the time. She's a fighter and she's more than proved that throughout this novel.
I was prepared to dislike The Jackal. Heck, I was prepared to DNF this novel from the start. I'm glad to say he won me over. His story is heartbreaking and I just wanted him to catch a break. He proved himself to be loyal to a fault, kind and caring in spite of what he was put through.
The ending had me tearing up! It was SO sweet and worthwhile. They deserved a happy for now ending with all the crap they've been through. Now I just want to know where Mayhem, Lucan, and Apex are and how their stories are going to turn out!
My Favorite Quotes:
"Careful there, your impervious wall of secrecy has a small crumble in it."
"I learned long ago never to predict. All you can do is influence what you can and endure the rest."
"[...] She reflected that among all the phrases in all the languages in all the world, there was one that never lost its luster, no matter how many times it was spoken, "I love you" never got worn out."
I was very skeptical about this story initially and now all I want are more stories about these characters! Everything was so hopeless from the beginning that I had to power through quite a few chapters and wait for the story to get rolling. When it finally did, I didn't know what I would be in for and I loved every minute of it!
Nyx was a bad*ss of a heroine! I liked that she didn't take anyone's crap and that she fought for what she believed was right with the information she had at the time. She's a fighter and she's more than proved that throughout this novel.
I was prepared to dislike The Jackal. Heck, I was prepared to DNF this novel from the start. I'm glad to say he won me over. His story is heartbreaking and I just wanted him to catch a break. He proved himself to be loyal to a fault, kind and caring in spite of what he was put through.
The ending had me tearing up! It was SO sweet and worthwhile. They deserved a happy for now ending with all the crap they've been through. Now I just want to know where Mayhem, Lucan, and Apex are and how their stories are going to turn out!
My Favorite Quotes:
"Careful there, your impervious wall of secrecy has a small crumble in it."
"I learned long ago never to predict. All you can do is influence what you can and endure the rest."
"[...] She reflected that among all the phrases in all the languages in all the world, there was one that never lost its luster, no matter how many times it was spoken, "I love you" never got worn out."
August 27, 2020
Meh at best, with plot holes galore.
July 12, 2025
The Jackal by J.R. Ward
Genres: Adult, Crime, Paranormal, Romance
4.25 Stars
While I loved most of it, there were parts that left me...... unsatisfied.
The romance/sex scenes are intense and well written.
Loved The Jackal and Nyx. Though on occasion Nyx has some TSTL moments.
Loved the back flashes with Rhage and all the twist and turns.
For the most part, it is well written and flows very nicely.
Wasn't happy with some of the scenes with certain side characters. Those scenes felt like they were left unfinished.
We are introduced to a new subspecies. Maybe more than one.
I'm really curious as to where this new spinoff/crossover is going and eager to read more.
Genres: Adult, Crime, Paranormal, Romance
4.25 Stars
While I loved most of it, there were parts that left me...... unsatisfied.
The romance/sex scenes are intense and well written.
Loved The Jackal and Nyx. Though on occasion Nyx has some TSTL moments.
Loved the back flashes with Rhage and all the twist and turns.
For the most part, it is well written and flows very nicely.
Wasn't happy with some of the scenes with certain side characters. Those scenes felt like they were left unfinished.
We are introduced to a new subspecies. Maybe more than one.
I'm really curious as to where this new spinoff/crossover is going and eager to read more.
July 31, 2023
This was a cool addition to the BDB series. I liked the new characters. I always love seeing Rhage and Bitty time. Those were some of my favorite scenes. Rhage is such a terrific dad.
October 18, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Bright & Shiny Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nyx is determined to rescue her sister from the Prison Camp who she believes is innocent of murder, she was convicted and sentenced to 50 yrs. Nothing and no one is going to stop her. She’s strong, fierce, and stubborn. She’s wholeheartedly focused on her mission and unwilling to listen to any advice from her wise Grandfather who she’s simi estranged from...even though she and her younger tender hearted sister live with him since the death of their parents.
The Jackal, this male reminds me a bit of Z, a tortured hero. Jack (as Nyx nicknames him). The Jackal focuses on the heart breaking and unethical conditions of a vampire prison where ‘The Command’ controls the prison and the prisoners with an iron fist. Most of the prisoners have been sentenced for who they are, and not what they have done. Many unfairly, at a time when the powerful Glymera controlled all, and in doing so, sentenced anyone and everyone who got in the way of their greed.
I loved the flashbacks with Rhage and Darius, it was nice getting to know a little about who Rhage was when he was younger, many years before he meets his Mary. It was awesome to see more of Darius and learn a bit more about him. And bonus my King Wrath has a small role but anything is better than nothing right!?
JRW once again, pulls the reader into the vampire world, it’s a different world than what we’re used to with the Black Dagger Brotherhood. The prison camp shows the underbelly of corruption, power, and control by the Glymera. The premise is engaging and captivating, the Prison Camp characters are pretty diverse and I can’t wait to get more of them!!
Oh!! I almost forgot……we’re finally introduce to a Wolvin!! We’ve been hearing the buzz for years, it’s finally here!!!!!! I hope you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did, the story did seem to lag in some places (hence the 4 stars) but for the most part it’s a terrific addition to the BDB world for us JRW die hard fans.
September 4, 2020
I wish I could've loved this more because I adore the BDB series (though the last few books haven't been favorites)! But the heroine was way too naive and frustrating for me and I didn't love any of the other characters either. This was a pretty disappointing start to this spinoff series but I'll probably still continue reading it.
August 18, 2020
I really wish I could like this book, the Jackal and his friends were all interesting.
Unfortunately, Nyx is almost as annoying as Sissy which made this book absolutely painful to read.
Unfortunately, Nyx is almost as annoying as Sissy which made this book absolutely painful to read.
September 3, 2020
4.5 cause there’s a big spoiler that leaked months ago that knowing going in reduced the WHAT HUH DANG total awesomeness of this tale.
Which was pretty damn awesome...and I loved it. And I can’t really explain why.
I don’t read for plots or words or clarity or themes or sexual positions to try or pinky in the air award winning tomes...all the elements of deciding if the story measures up. I read and judge the good/bad of a book by 1 key attribute : The Feels. My feels, not yours, and I can’t detail what makes me feel. But I know when I am not feeling it.
The Feels were Fab here. This tale is not ‘BDB The Prison Years’. But it really had me feeling those early BDB story warm fuzzies in my happy place. I sat down to read a few Chapters before bed and stayed up way past bedtime to finish cause I could not put this down. Darius! The Grandfather! Lucan & The Other Dudes! Chemistry with the Leads of 🔥
Plus, I sobbed my tits off 😭 and you never should go to sleep red-rimmed 👁. I clutched my pearls numerous times as shockers were exposed during the story I did not see coming. The bad guy here is baddddddddd...because they have an element, tiny it may be, of humanity...but their explanation of why they kill is 1 of the most horrifically chilling moments in Kindle-porn I have read.
Which was pretty damn awesome...and I loved it. And I can’t really explain why.
I don’t read for plots or words or clarity or themes or sexual positions to try or pinky in the air award winning tomes...all the elements of deciding if the story measures up. I read and judge the good/bad of a book by 1 key attribute : The Feels. My feels, not yours, and I can’t detail what makes me feel. But I know when I am not feeling it.
The Feels were Fab here. This tale is not ‘BDB The Prison Years’. But it really had me feeling those early BDB story warm fuzzies in my happy place. I sat down to read a few Chapters before bed and stayed up way past bedtime to finish cause I could not put this down. Darius! The Grandfather! Lucan & The Other Dudes! Chemistry with the Leads of 🔥
Plus, I sobbed my tits off 😭 and you never should go to sleep red-rimmed 👁. I clutched my pearls numerous times as shockers were exposed during the story I did not see coming. The bad guy here is baddddddddd...because they have an element, tiny it may be, of humanity...but their explanation of why they kill is 1 of the most horrifically chilling moments in Kindle-porn I have read.
August 17, 2020
First and foremost I want to acknowledge the dedication by Ward to the essential workers during COVID-19. I agree with Warden. And join her in THANKS.
Who do we get to spend time with this go-round? Nyx and The Jackal equal YES, YES, YES! Smart, skilled, and powerful is the best way to describe this new duo. They are a fabulous addition to the BDB world.
Rhage also plays a big part in this one. Readers are going to get a nice surprise with heavily added snippets of the past as well. A glimpse back in time that adds to the current timeline. It had me reading with bated breath. Soooo many past and present plot twists and reveals. (WELL FREAKIN DONE, WARDEN)
Oh! I would be remiss to not mention the introduction of this Prison Camp band of brothers. The ebb and flow of their comradery along with the jovial banter adds so much. And to be honest, it's a hallmark of J.R. Wards writing style and character traits that she puts into her books. It’s why I read them.
Another five star read from the powerhouse that is JR Ward
~Tanja
*ARC provided by publisher
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Who do we get to spend time with this go-round? Nyx and The Jackal equal YES, YES, YES! Smart, skilled, and powerful is the best way to describe this new duo. They are a fabulous addition to the BDB world.
Rhage also plays a big part in this one. Readers are going to get a nice surprise with heavily added snippets of the past as well. A glimpse back in time that adds to the current timeline. It had me reading with bated breath. Soooo many past and present plot twists and reveals. (WELL FREAKIN DONE, WARDEN)
Oh! I would be remiss to not mention the introduction of this Prison Camp band of brothers. The ebb and flow of their comradery along with the jovial banter adds so much. And to be honest, it's a hallmark of J.R. Wards writing style and character traits that she puts into her books. It’s why I read them.
Another five star read from the powerhouse that is JR Ward
~Tanja
*ARC provided by publisher
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May 26, 2022
4 Estrellitas ¡Qué ganas tenía de retomar a la Ward y con serie nueva ambientada en el mundo de la Hermandad de la Daga Negra!
Prison Camp es la nueva serie o spin off, que se desarrolla en un complejo subterráneo, una cárcel para los vampiros de la raza que creó la glymera, donde muchos de los que están presos entraron injustamente y se olvidaron de ellos.
El Jackal, o Jack es un vampiro que entró hace cien años en la prisión, por un delito que no cometió y que ha olvidado lo que es la libertad.
Nyx es una joven vampira, una civil que vive en una granja con su abuelo y su hermana menor. Hace cincuenta años, su hermana mayor, Janelle, entró en la prisión de la glymera, por un delito que no cometió, y Nyx lleva ese tiempo dispuesta a encontrar una entrada en dicha cárcel y buscar a su hermana para demostrar su inocencia.
Una noche en que su hermana menor y ella vuelven a casa, sufren un accidente con su camioneta y ambas piensan que ha sido un ciervo; pero descubren que es un joven, y no sólo eso, si no un pretrans de la raza de vampiros, que ha escapado de la cárcel. Entre farfullos y herido, el joven les confiesa una entrada en la prisión, y a la noche siguiente, Nyx coge su mochila dispuesta a entrar en la prisión e ir a por su hermana.
Con una seguridad de mierda y metodos muy arcaicos, Nyx entra en la prisión de la raza, y allí se encontrará con el Jackal; un prisionero con unos increíbles ojos aguamarinas, que penetrarán en su corazón. La química es instantánea, y Jack no duda en ningún momento en ayudar a Nyx. Junto con él, y otros prisioneros con los que trabó amistad a lo largo de varias décadas, descubrirán qué fue de Janelle.
Pero un peligro más grande acecha a ésta nueva pareja, y es el Comando, la persona que gobierna la cárcel, y que no estará dispuesta a dejar que alguien ajeno a la cárcel escape de rositas y mucho menos habiendo creado el caos que reina ahora en prisión.
Mientras tanto, la Ward nos narrará en flashback una historia del pasado, que estará protagonizada por Rhage, y el modo en que conoció al Jackal, y el vínculo que los une.
La novela ha estado bien, pero tampoco es de las que más me han gustado de la Ward. Para mi gusto tiene demasiada acción y el romance ha sido muy rápido e instalove. Pese a ello, la Ward ha sabido llevar los momentos de tensión y las sorpresas a las que nos tiene acostumbradas. Por eso mismo se ha llevado las cuatro estrellitas.
Como inicio de nueva serie ha estado bien y me ha dejado con ganas de más, sobre todo de Lucan, el compañero del Jackal y que es nada más ni menos que un hombre lobo. Por fin la Ward se ha atrevido a meter licántropos y que no todo fueran vampiros.
Prison Camp es la nueva serie o spin off, que se desarrolla en un complejo subterráneo, una cárcel para los vampiros de la raza que creó la glymera, donde muchos de los que están presos entraron injustamente y se olvidaron de ellos.
El Jackal, o Jack es un vampiro que entró hace cien años en la prisión, por un delito que no cometió y que ha olvidado lo que es la libertad.
Nyx es una joven vampira, una civil que vive en una granja con su abuelo y su hermana menor. Hace cincuenta años, su hermana mayor, Janelle, entró en la prisión de la glymera, por un delito que no cometió, y Nyx lleva ese tiempo dispuesta a encontrar una entrada en dicha cárcel y buscar a su hermana para demostrar su inocencia.
Una noche en que su hermana menor y ella vuelven a casa, sufren un accidente con su camioneta y ambas piensan que ha sido un ciervo; pero descubren que es un joven, y no sólo eso, si no un pretrans de la raza de vampiros, que ha escapado de la cárcel. Entre farfullos y herido, el joven les confiesa una entrada en la prisión, y a la noche siguiente, Nyx coge su mochila dispuesta a entrar en la prisión e ir a por su hermana.
Con una seguridad de mierda y metodos muy arcaicos, Nyx entra en la prisión de la raza, y allí se encontrará con el Jackal; un prisionero con unos increíbles ojos aguamarinas, que penetrarán en su corazón. La química es instantánea, y Jack no duda en ningún momento en ayudar a Nyx. Junto con él, y otros prisioneros con los que trabó amistad a lo largo de varias décadas, descubrirán qué fue de Janelle.
Pero un peligro más grande acecha a ésta nueva pareja, y es el Comando, la persona que gobierna la cárcel, y que no estará dispuesta a dejar que alguien ajeno a la cárcel escape de rositas y mucho menos habiendo creado el caos que reina ahora en prisión.
Mientras tanto, la Ward nos narrará en flashback una historia del pasado, que estará protagonizada por Rhage, y el modo en que conoció al Jackal, y el vínculo que los une.
La novela ha estado bien, pero tampoco es de las que más me han gustado de la Ward. Para mi gusto tiene demasiada acción y el romance ha sido muy rápido e instalove. Pese a ello, la Ward ha sabido llevar los momentos de tensión y las sorpresas a las que nos tiene acostumbradas. Por eso mismo se ha llevado las cuatro estrellitas.
Como inicio de nueva serie ha estado bien y me ha dejado con ganas de más, sobre todo de Lucan, el compañero del Jackal y que es nada más ni menos que un hombre lobo. Por fin la Ward se ha atrevido a meter licántropos y que no todo fueran vampiros.
August 18, 2020
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Catherine Lowe
Readers looking for a new thrilling paranormal romance read with just the right amount of magic and action should pick up J.R. Ward’s THE JACKAL [Gallery Books, August 18, 2020]. In an exciting new companion series to her ever-popular Black Dagger Brotherhood collection, Ward creates a tale of adventure, love, heartbreak, and betrayal with unforeseen twists to keep readers turning the pages.
Read the FULL REVIEW on The Nerd Daily
Readers looking for a new thrilling paranormal romance read with just the right amount of magic and action should pick up J.R. Ward’s THE JACKAL [Gallery Books, August 18, 2020]. In an exciting new companion series to her ever-popular Black Dagger Brotherhood collection, Ward creates a tale of adventure, love, heartbreak, and betrayal with unforeseen twists to keep readers turning the pages.
Read the FULL REVIEW on The Nerd Daily
January 25, 2021
The Jackal was absolutely epic! Everything around me melted away as I got lost in this world, caught up in the emotion, pain, and passion. It was incredibly intense and I hung on every detail and loved how it was woven together with an incredible build. It blew me away!
I loved meeting The Jackal, he completely fascinated me. I felt for him and I had so many questions about some of his choices. There were so many emotional moments with him and it was heartbreaking at times learning what he had endured. Nyx was phenomenal. She had this amazing strength and determination in her that I adored. The two together were fantastic, they had an instant connection and yet they pushed each other's buttons with these great dry barbs creating awesome friction. I loved that attraction and pull between them. I loved learning The Jackal and Nyx’s history and motivations, there was such an exceptional build to those growing details. Twist after twist I was on the edge of my seat, hooked!
I loved Rhage in this story and learning the connection he had to The Jackal. I really liked learning more about his past and what he was like before the Brotherhood truly came together. It was such a different version of him and it's amazing how much he's grown and changed, it made me incredibly happy. I also liked that Darius was involved and The Jackal's connection to him as well as some of the other brothers.
I loved the flow of the POVs and that back-and-forth storytelling of past and present. I loved all the dots connected and those details colliding. This story was filled with so much depth and so many layers and I loved having them all peeled back. I loved the action, drama, and heat. There were some really excellent characters introduced as well and I loved all the different bonds and connections. The prison itself was incredibly detailed and I was intrigued by all the different dynamics within it. I am very excited about where the series will go and can't wait for the next book.
This was thrilling to read and I had such a sense of urgency to find out everything. It was intense and passionate and heartbreaking and I hung on every word as all the details unfolded, culminating into a fantastic ending that was absolutely perfect!
I loved meeting The Jackal, he completely fascinated me. I felt for him and I had so many questions about some of his choices. There were so many emotional moments with him and it was heartbreaking at times learning what he had endured. Nyx was phenomenal. She had this amazing strength and determination in her that I adored. The two together were fantastic, they had an instant connection and yet they pushed each other's buttons with these great dry barbs creating awesome friction. I loved that attraction and pull between them. I loved learning The Jackal and Nyx’s history and motivations, there was such an exceptional build to those growing details. Twist after twist I was on the edge of my seat, hooked!
I loved Rhage in this story and learning the connection he had to The Jackal. I really liked learning more about his past and what he was like before the Brotherhood truly came together. It was such a different version of him and it's amazing how much he's grown and changed, it made me incredibly happy. I also liked that Darius was involved and The Jackal's connection to him as well as some of the other brothers.
I loved the flow of the POVs and that back-and-forth storytelling of past and present. I loved all the dots connected and those details colliding. This story was filled with so much depth and so many layers and I loved having them all peeled back. I loved the action, drama, and heat. There were some really excellent characters introduced as well and I loved all the different bonds and connections. The prison itself was incredibly detailed and I was intrigued by all the different dynamics within it. I am very excited about where the series will go and can't wait for the next book.
This was thrilling to read and I had such a sense of urgency to find out everything. It was intense and passionate and heartbreaking and I hung on every word as all the details unfolded, culminating into a fantastic ending that was absolutely perfect!
August 17, 2020
I'm a huge Black Dagger Brotherhood and Rhage is my absolute favorite character so of course, I was excited about a book about his secret half-brother and the chance to see more of Rhage. Sadly this book did not meet my personal expectations on either front: Rhage's first chapter was amazing but the two main characters were flat and two dimensional despite their big promise and their interesting pasts and upbringings. The big plot twist was able to be completely predictable and come out of nowhere at the same time which filled me with anger and the character's interactions had nothing unique or rememberable about them, just another insta-love story. I disliked the sickly sweet way the book ended but I'm also aware that "The Legacy" series is in a completely different genre than the main BDB series and it has a softer, lighter tone. If you like books that focus on the romantic aspect of the relationship, are a short and quick read, and have a guaranteed HEA, then this might be your cup of tea. Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for this DRC.
Want to read
October 25, 2019I know I'm getting old and my memory isn't what it used to be but have we ever heard of a Rhage half-brother before? I'm guessing "no" hence a BDL book instead of part of the main series.
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November 5, 2020
3.5 Stars
Nyx has been looking for the glymera’s prison camp for 50 years. Ever since her sister got sent there for a crime she didn’t commit. But, either no one is talking, or no one knows, that is, until by pure chance she nearly runs over an escapee. Now, armed with the location of the prison, a bag full of ammo and her toothbrush, she is breaking into the prison and doesn’t intend to leave without her sister.
This book. This damn book. I feel very conflicted about it. The release of a J.R.Ward book is something I used to look forward to with unhealthy anticipation. I would book a few days off work to read it; I would load up with snacks and Kleenex to get me through the emotional ups and downs and I would be up until midnight making sure that the book downloaded on my kindle. Nowadays, I don’t get the i-can’t-wait-i-need-it-now rush of anticipation as the books she’s released in the past few years haven’t really done it for me.
So, The Jackal was a chance for a new start, set in the world that I do still love. Ward’s opportunity to get back to what made me fall in love with the original Brothers. Capture that magic again. As you may have guessed from the rating it didn’t quite do that for me. But, I am still conflicted as this book did something that alot of her books, even in the early days, didn’t do. She gave me heroine I Loved, with a capital L. But, let me delve more deeply into some of the points that stuck out for me:
Spin-off Blues
This is a bugbear of mine. If a book is the first of a new series, spin off or not, then you shouldn’t have to read all the author’s other work to understand what is happening in it. Could you read The Jackal without reading the Black Dagger Brotherhood (BDB) series and still enjoy and get the full impact of the story. In my opinion: no. I am going to qualify that by saying that both the hero The Jackal and the heroine, Nyx, are brand new characters we haven’t met before. The issue is, is that it is set in a very well developed world that Ward has excellently fleshed out in the BDB series. In this book, lots of concepts and characters are thrown at the reader without explanation. For example, Nyx is given a dagger with a black blade by her grandfather something we all know is synonymous with the Brotherhood. Nyx is taken back by this, as a reader of BDB we know why, we know what the dagger signify’s, a new reader wouldn’t. Also concepts like the glymera, shellan, pre-trans and all these other aspects of vampire life are dropped without explanation. If, as a virgin to BDB I had read this, I would find this extremely off-putting, I would either be constantly having to refer to the glossary or I would DNF.
Rhage Rage
This is linked to my point above. Rhage’s story kind of entwines with this and at the beginning of the book we have snippets from the 1800-1900s from Rhage’s POV. Once again, if you haven’t read BDB having Rhage as the first chapter, a character you know is neither the hero or heroine is just strange. In fact, in the first 40% of the book, we barely see The Jackal, the hero of the story. And, now that I’ve read the book, I understand what Ward was doing, but it felt unnecessary. That connection to Rhage was not needed and if you took it out, no part of the story would have played out any differently. So, what was the point? It only served to really slow down the book with no actual pay off. And, it kills me to say this as Rhage is one of my favourite characters in BDB, I love seeing him on the page, but I felt like it really detracted from getting to know Nyx and The Jackal.
Nyx 4eva
One of my consistent criticisms of this series is the heroines. For me, with the exceptions of Mary, Marissa and Xhex, all of the other heroines are entirely forgettable and even at times interchangeable. Bella, Beth, Ehlena, Layla, Payne…I like them all but I struggled just now to remember their names. So, I was absolutely delighted when Nyx came on page. Finally, a heroine I could fall in love with. She was strong and resourceful, resilient and smart. Maybe a little headstrong, but I kinda liked that too. I know, thus far in my review I’ve been fairly negative and honestly there’s one more negative point to go, but one of the things that kept me reading was Nyx. If you like a strong heroine, she’s your gal.
Insta Love
I am not a hater of insta love, sometimes it works really well especially in the paranormal romance genre where it’s often linked with fated mates. But, for me, I found the evolution of this romance disappointing. It was too fast, they had sex too early. Ward is fantastic at weaving longing and angst and soul deep connection. I know, I’ve read it, she’s made me cry over it, even in her latter books which are by no means my favourite she still weaves her magic. But, there was too much instant gratification, I wanted the build up the anticipation and then burst of passion. But it was sadly lacking in this book. It wasn’t terrible by all means, but I just expected so much more, this book just did not have the emotional impact I was craving.
Final Thoughts
J.R. Ward is a beautiful writer and I love the ebb and flow of her work. She isn’t afraid to use complex and original language and she has a way of saying things that can really nail down a situation or a feeling. She’s a master. This book is no different in that respect. It’s why I will continue to read Ward, even though the romance itself was a little mediocre. So, if you are already a Black Dagger Brotherhood fan, I would recommend reading this, if this is the first time you have encountered J.R. Ward, I would skip this one for now and start with Dark Lover, the first in the original BDB series.
Nyx has been looking for the glymera’s prison camp for 50 years. Ever since her sister got sent there for a crime she didn’t commit. But, either no one is talking, or no one knows, that is, until by pure chance she nearly runs over an escapee. Now, armed with the location of the prison, a bag full of ammo and her toothbrush, she is breaking into the prison and doesn’t intend to leave without her sister.
This book. This damn book. I feel very conflicted about it. The release of a J.R.Ward book is something I used to look forward to with unhealthy anticipation. I would book a few days off work to read it; I would load up with snacks and Kleenex to get me through the emotional ups and downs and I would be up until midnight making sure that the book downloaded on my kindle. Nowadays, I don’t get the i-can’t-wait-i-need-it-now rush of anticipation as the books she’s released in the past few years haven’t really done it for me.
So, The Jackal was a chance for a new start, set in the world that I do still love. Ward’s opportunity to get back to what made me fall in love with the original Brothers. Capture that magic again. As you may have guessed from the rating it didn’t quite do that for me. But, I am still conflicted as this book did something that alot of her books, even in the early days, didn’t do. She gave me heroine I Loved, with a capital L. But, let me delve more deeply into some of the points that stuck out for me:
Spin-off Blues
This is a bugbear of mine. If a book is the first of a new series, spin off or not, then you shouldn’t have to read all the author’s other work to understand what is happening in it. Could you read The Jackal without reading the Black Dagger Brotherhood (BDB) series and still enjoy and get the full impact of the story. In my opinion: no. I am going to qualify that by saying that both the hero The Jackal and the heroine, Nyx, are brand new characters we haven’t met before. The issue is, is that it is set in a very well developed world that Ward has excellently fleshed out in the BDB series. In this book, lots of concepts and characters are thrown at the reader without explanation. For example, Nyx is given a dagger with a black blade by her grandfather something we all know is synonymous with the Brotherhood. Nyx is taken back by this, as a reader of BDB we know why, we know what the dagger signify’s, a new reader wouldn’t. Also concepts like the glymera, shellan, pre-trans and all these other aspects of vampire life are dropped without explanation. If, as a virgin to BDB I had read this, I would find this extremely off-putting, I would either be constantly having to refer to the glossary or I would DNF.
Rhage Rage
This is linked to my point above. Rhage’s story kind of entwines with this and at the beginning of the book we have snippets from the 1800-1900s from Rhage’s POV. Once again, if you haven’t read BDB having Rhage as the first chapter, a character you know is neither the hero or heroine is just strange. In fact, in the first 40% of the book, we barely see The Jackal, the hero of the story. And, now that I’ve read the book, I understand what Ward was doing, but it felt unnecessary. That connection to Rhage was not needed and if you took it out, no part of the story would have played out any differently. So, what was the point? It only served to really slow down the book with no actual pay off. And, it kills me to say this as Rhage is one of my favourite characters in BDB, I love seeing him on the page, but I felt like it really detracted from getting to know Nyx and The Jackal.
Nyx 4eva
One of my consistent criticisms of this series is the heroines. For me, with the exceptions of Mary, Marissa and Xhex, all of the other heroines are entirely forgettable and even at times interchangeable. Bella, Beth, Ehlena, Layla, Payne…I like them all but I struggled just now to remember their names. So, I was absolutely delighted when Nyx came on page. Finally, a heroine I could fall in love with. She was strong and resourceful, resilient and smart. Maybe a little headstrong, but I kinda liked that too. I know, thus far in my review I’ve been fairly negative and honestly there’s one more negative point to go, but one of the things that kept me reading was Nyx. If you like a strong heroine, she’s your gal.
Insta Love
I am not a hater of insta love, sometimes it works really well especially in the paranormal romance genre where it’s often linked with fated mates. But, for me, I found the evolution of this romance disappointing. It was too fast, they had sex too early. Ward is fantastic at weaving longing and angst and soul deep connection. I know, I’ve read it, she’s made me cry over it, even in her latter books which are by no means my favourite she still weaves her magic. But, there was too much instant gratification, I wanted the build up the anticipation and then burst of passion. But it was sadly lacking in this book. It wasn’t terrible by all means, but I just expected so much more, this book just did not have the emotional impact I was craving.
Final Thoughts
J.R. Ward is a beautiful writer and I love the ebb and flow of her work. She isn’t afraid to use complex and original language and she has a way of saying things that can really nail down a situation or a feeling. She’s a master. This book is no different in that respect. It’s why I will continue to read Ward, even though the romance itself was a little mediocre. So, if you are already a Black Dagger Brotherhood fan, I would recommend reading this, if this is the first time you have encountered J.R. Ward, I would skip this one for now and start with Dark Lover, the first in the original BDB series.
Read
August 25, 2020No rating. I refuse to read this book. It’s a messy cash grab set 6 years in the future of the BDB world timeline. You’re welcome.
The Jackal is 2017.
BDB world is stuck in 2011.
Oh and Ward has her heart set on writing a series of 4 books, 25-50 years in the future about the kids’ HEA’s — WHY?! Do the readers really want to read about Nalla having sex? She’s a toddler right now! Oh PS this future series would be written concurrently with the big BDB books and Prison series and Wolven series. Buckle in for some jacked up oopsies.
Per Ward’s paid Q&A zoom meeting, which spoiler alert is it’s own shitshow anytime she has one that’s free on FB, she made some telling statements concerning being consistent with the series.
Apparently she tries “really” hard to stay consistent throughout the years but it’s REALLY hard because it’s a long series. It impossible according to JRW. What a letdown. The more she talks openly and makes up excuses for why things change with characters or dates change in the books the less respect I have for her as an author. There are a handful of established PNR authors with huge back lists and don’t have an inconsistency problem. Wanna know why?? They reread their books, have character bibles, and research assistants that aren’t afraid to say NO. They also have editors that aren’t afraid to say NO.
Look, I was a huge BDB fan. Bigger Vishous fan (still am. He’s the only reason I’m still around). My love for the BDB story and Ward, who was my favorite author and inspiration, changed when she pinned her gold star on Gallery Books. Ward has allowed GB to ruin the series. It’s not the same BDB. Since The Savior, BDB has become a standalone series. Ward defends this choice because she doesn’t want people to feel like they need to buy and read the entire series — because books are expensive. So instead, her loyal readers are forced to swallow ice cold macerated leftovers. Thank you for the look out.
It feels like Ward is more concerned with making her publisher happy, the people that sign her paychecks, than the people — readers — who’s money makes the paycheck possible. Honestly, I don’t think she could write a BDB book like back in the day anymore. Which makes me both mad and sad.
The Jackal is 2017.
BDB world is stuck in 2011.
Oh and Ward has her heart set on writing a series of 4 books, 25-50 years in the future about the kids’ HEA’s — WHY?! Do the readers really want to read about Nalla having sex? She’s a toddler right now! Oh PS this future series would be written concurrently with the big BDB books and Prison series and Wolven series. Buckle in for some jacked up oopsies.
Per Ward’s paid Q&A zoom meeting, which spoiler alert is it’s own shitshow anytime she has one that’s free on FB, she made some telling statements concerning being consistent with the series.
Apparently she tries “really” hard to stay consistent throughout the years but it’s REALLY hard because it’s a long series. It impossible according to JRW. What a letdown. The more she talks openly and makes up excuses for why things change with characters or dates change in the books the less respect I have for her as an author. There are a handful of established PNR authors with huge back lists and don’t have an inconsistency problem. Wanna know why?? They reread their books, have character bibles, and research assistants that aren’t afraid to say NO. They also have editors that aren’t afraid to say NO.
Look, I was a huge BDB fan. Bigger Vishous fan (still am. He’s the only reason I’m still around). My love for the BDB story and Ward, who was my favorite author and inspiration, changed when she pinned her gold star on Gallery Books. Ward has allowed GB to ruin the series. It’s not the same BDB. Since The Savior, BDB has become a standalone series. Ward defends this choice because she doesn’t want people to feel like they need to buy and read the entire series — because books are expensive. So instead, her loyal readers are forced to swallow ice cold macerated leftovers. Thank you for the look out.
It feels like Ward is more concerned with making her publisher happy, the people that sign her paychecks, than the people — readers — who’s money makes the paycheck possible. Honestly, I don’t think she could write a BDB book like back in the day anymore. Which makes me both mad and sad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2021
JR Ward is about to lose me as a reader and here’s why...
I loved loved loved The Black Dagger Brother Hood series after the first six books which were so god damned redundant that I wanted to shoot myself in the face. Peak JR Ward starts around the 7th and 8th book when the plot finally heightened and reached its climax with John, Xhex, and Rehv. Following that, JR Ward created all these unnecessary spin-offs and new series that I feel like should have come AFTER she closed up some very prolonged and neglected plot points concerning Darius, John, Mary, etc etc. There are so many things have been left open for so god damned long that I feel like at this point we won’t get answers.
What pisses me off even more is that JR Ward used to have a talent for drawing you into her next book before it was even close to release date. She would give us such a good glimpse at the coming cast that I was thirsty for the next hardcover to be in my hands as fast as possible. Sadly with the her new books she doesn’t give us any kind of teaser or sample or even MENTION the characters who will be in her next book, automatically deeming them irrelevant for me. Rhage’s have brother who was NEVER mentioned? No. A spin-off in the same universe but ABOUT WOLVES? No.
I might sound like I’m just being super impatient and whiny, but listen, when you’ve been following this series for YEARS AND YEARS and you just want your god damned closure? YOU JUST WANT YOUR GODDAMNED CLOSURE.
Anyways, as you can tell I was quite biased about coming into this new installment. I didn’t give two craps about a never-mentioned half-brother named ‘nobody gives a shit’ and his love interest. Needless to say on top of them being irrelevant, they were just as plain as unsalted chicken. They were awful and recycled and I just didn’t see the point in reading this book.
The ONE redeemable thing was the treatment of the aristocrat towards the Jackal. Showing the corruption of the Glymera has always interested me and seeing more of that helped me want to read this book.
Otherwise....no. No I didn’t like this book very much at all
I loved loved loved The Black Dagger Brother Hood series after the first six books which were so god damned redundant that I wanted to shoot myself in the face. Peak JR Ward starts around the 7th and 8th book when the plot finally heightened and reached its climax with John, Xhex, and Rehv. Following that, JR Ward created all these unnecessary spin-offs and new series that I feel like should have come AFTER she closed up some very prolonged and neglected plot points concerning Darius, John, Mary, etc etc. There are so many things have been left open for so god damned long that I feel like at this point we won’t get answers.
What pisses me off even more is that JR Ward used to have a talent for drawing you into her next book before it was even close to release date. She would give us such a good glimpse at the coming cast that I was thirsty for the next hardcover to be in my hands as fast as possible. Sadly with the her new books she doesn’t give us any kind of teaser or sample or even MENTION the characters who will be in her next book, automatically deeming them irrelevant for me. Rhage’s have brother who was NEVER mentioned? No. A spin-off in the same universe but ABOUT WOLVES? No.
I might sound like I’m just being super impatient and whiny, but listen, when you’ve been following this series for YEARS AND YEARS and you just want your god damned closure? YOU JUST WANT YOUR GODDAMNED CLOSURE.
Anyways, as you can tell I was quite biased about coming into this new installment. I didn’t give two craps about a never-mentioned half-brother named ‘nobody gives a shit’ and his love interest. Needless to say on top of them being irrelevant, they were just as plain as unsalted chicken. They were awful and recycled and I just didn’t see the point in reading this book.
The ONE redeemable thing was the treatment of the aristocrat towards the Jackal. Showing the corruption of the Glymera has always interested me and seeing more of that helped me want to read this book.
Otherwise....no. No I didn’t like this book very much at all
August 21, 2020
This book was so so so good!!!! Can you say PLOT TWIST? Loved it!
August 19, 2020
A bit of a disappointment, really. The author uses the same cookie-cutter phrasing that seemed so fresh 12 books ago but which now makes them all bleed together. The female MC was supposed to be badass but was actually just annoyingly unwilling to accept sensible advice and help. I might have reached the end of the line with BDB and its spinoffs. For a long time it was a fantastic ride, and I am grateful for that.
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