The Wolf

Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp #2

by J.R. Ward

Return to the dark and sexy Black Dagger Brotherhood world in this second prison camp installment from #1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward . . .

Rio Hernandez-Guerrero has been working undercover to bring down Caldwell's worst drug lord, the elusive and sadistic Mozart. She knows she's finally getting close to him when she's ordered to negotiate a massive deal with a shadowy supplier. But what shows up at the meeting . . . is nothing she expects.

Betrayed by his clan, Lucan was locked up decades ago for the crime of being both wolven and vampire. Forced to engage in drug-dealing by the prison camp's despot, he is not looking for anything more complicated in his cold and isolated life. But then a human woman, with a stare that tames him, crosses his path . . .

Rio captures a predator's heart, but they both have secrets that threaten not only their fate as soulmates but their very lives. Will they find a way to win at the deadly game they're both playing . . . or will their inner natures shatter their love?

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Vampires, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Audiobook

Hardcover

First published November 16, 2021

About the author

J.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.

Reviews

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book by J. R. Ward!

I absolutely love this world, the spin off series' with a touch of the 'Brotherhood' is just what I need to help me escape reality!

I'm really looking forward to see where this particular series goes.

[nikita · Rating 1 out of 5]

all those unnecessary scenes made me feel like i was reading about a supporting couple instead of the main.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow.

Lucan and Rio are side characters in their own book. With that said, it was very hard to believe in their relationship because it simply was ridiculous. They spent the bare minimum together and just when you would settle into their story you were then thrown into V, Butch, & Rhage. Then there was the Jose Del A Cruz parts. My bottom
Line, this is a bare minimum romance.

[Penny Well Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all, I would like to say that I am a fan of the BDB series, so it hurts me giving this book a 1 star rating, but I didn’t like this book at all and I feel like Ward should know better.
This was really bad:
- The Prison/prisoners situation makes no sense whatsoever.
- The drug trading/undercover police situation is vague and badly done.
- The wolven are an afterthought and randomly placed to make things happen. We still know NOTHING about their species or mythology. Let's ignore the title of the book, shall we?
- Lucan and his mix blood situation could have been the most interesting thing of the story and yet it is not explored AT ALL. Again, why that title?
- The romance is not. Seriously, WTF? For such an experience romance writer, this is beyond lame, shameful really.
- V... I just can't take him anymore, his POV was beyond terrible. V and Butch are so overwritten in the books that it has gotten to a point where Ward is just ruining them. What is she thinking? Enough is enough!
- José de la Cruz's story line was incredibly tedios and I had to skip most of it, despite the fact that I have been looking forward to get more content on him for ages.
- Generally, things take way too long to happen, the story is completely overrun by details, thoughts and unnecessary information I don’t care, need or have the patience for. While at the same time, lacking all the information needed to make the plot and characters plausible, valid and actually matter.

This book is all filler and laziness, a ridiculous mess that seems to have been written by an amateur.
I had to make an effort to keep reading, I was engaged at no point whatsoever. Very disappointing.


The Jackal (Prison Camp #1) - 3.5 star.

*************

BDB #1: Dark Lover - 4.5 stars
BDB #2: Lover Eternal - 4 stars
BDB #3: Lover Awakened - 5 stars
BDB #4: Lover Revealed - 4 stars
BDB #5: Lover Unbound - 4 stars
BDB #6: Lover Enshrined - 4 stars
BDB #6.5: Father Mine - 3 stars
BDB #7: Lover Avenged - 4 stars
BDB #8: Lover Mine - 5 stars
BDB #9: Lover Unleashed - 3 stars
BDB #10: Lover Reborn - 4 stars
BDB #11: Lover at Last - 5 stars
BDB #12: The King - 3 stars
BDB #13: The Shadows - 4.5 stars
BDB #14: The Beast - 4.5 stars
BDB #15: The Chosen - 4 stars
BDB #15.5: Dearest Ivie - 2 stars
BDB #16: The Thief - 3 stars.
BDB #16.5: Prisoner of Night - 3 stars
BDB #17: The Savior - 4 stars
BDB #17.5: Where Winter Finds You - 3 stars
BDB #18: The Sinner - 3.5 stars
BDB #18.5: A Warm Heart in Winter - 3 Stars
BDB #19: Lover Unveiled - 2 Stars

[Kat valentine ( Katsbookcornerreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved The Wolf! Lucan is a great anti hero and I fell in love with him from the beginning. This new series has so many awesome new characters and I love the whole crew from the prison. Once again lucan,mayhem and apex are back and each of them already has a piece of my heart and especially the dark dangerous Apex! We saw a side to him in this book that shows theirs more to him then anyone knew,but he's still scary as fuck! Lucan's job is to run drugs for the prison. He has no choice since the executioner is holding a life of a friend over his head. If he fucks up this person will die. But when he meets strong and tough talking RIo a undercover cop trying to get close to the mysterious Mozart its Lucan to rescue. I loved Rio and lucan together! They played well off each other and had a great chemistry. Theirs also another story running along side their's with one of my fave black dagger brother Vishous! V is spinning pretty badly after butch meets up with his old partner and its just one more thing to set off Vishous's already tortured mind. But Jane is their to help him with some sexual healing. This couple is awesome and Jane is one hell of a match for his dominant badboy! The sex scene is steamy but it also is beautiful because of their connection. Theirs also a twist after the last book with a returning character!!! Ty! Jr ward for bringing him back!!!!!! I cried like hell when I thought he was dead! I know this is cryptic but I don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone. Until next time Luv's💕💋

[Alba Turunen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Estrellitas. De nuevo vuelve J. R. Ward con otra novela ambientada en el mundo paranormal de la Hermandad de la Daga Negra.

"The Wolf" es el segundo libro del spin off Prison Camp. Su protagonista es Lucan, un mestizo mitad hombre lobo, mitad vampiro. Y la protagonista, Rio es una policía de Caldwell, infiltrada en una misión para que caigan las bandas que trafican con la droga.

Una vez ocurrida la vorágine en la cárcel de la glymera durante el primer libro, los prisioneros están lejos de su libertad. Para mantener el control del lugar, unos cuántos cabecillas se dedican a negociar con droga con los humanos para conseguir dinero y recursos para los prisioneros.

Lucan es uno de esos negociadores, lejos de conseguir su ansiada libertad, debe infiltrarse en el mundo humano y encontrarse con Rio, otro de los secuaces de Mozart, el gran capo de la droga de Caldwell.

Lejos de pensar en quién podría ser, Rio es una mujer hermosa que cautivará a Lucan. Por eso, una vez que ésta ha sido traicionada y hecha prisionera, Lucan no descansará hasta salvarla y llevarla a su mundo, para reclamarla como su compañera.

El libro ocurre en su mayor parte, no en la cárcel subterránea, si no en un abandonado hospital humano, lejos de Caldwell, y ahora convertido en cuartel de la droga de los vampiros.

Como historia secundaria tendremos de nuevo a Vishous y sus paranoias mentales. De verdad, ojalá la Ward encuentre a otro personaje para darle mierda, porque Vishous me encanta y no me gusta lo que ha hecho con él en los últimos libros.

El romance me ha gustado, pero no es de los mejores, creo que Rio acepta demasiado pronto y bien todo lo que ocurre alrededor suyo y sobre todo lo que tiene que ver con Luke.

Quizás lo que me ha fallado es el final, demasiado rápido y abrupto para ser un final de la Ward, pero me ha sorprendido por eso.

No lo destaco especialmente como uno de los mejores libros, quizás diría que es pasable, pero está entretenido y no es malo, y me gustan las cosas que ocurren. Pero sobre todo, con lo que más ganas tengo es con continuar la serie, así que no tardaré en ponerme con el próximo.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the action but felt the romance was lacking a bit. This was also my first glimpse at the Wolven and I wish we got more of the history of their species.

Edit: Oops - I guess I was supposed to read Claimed first 🤦‍

March 2024 update: I've now read Claimed but I am still just as confused as to the history of Wolven....


BDB #1 Dark Lover - ★★★★★
BDB #2 Lover Eternal - ★★★★★
BDB #3 Lover Awakened - ★★★★★
BDB #4 Lover Revealed - ★★★★★
BDB #5 Lover Unbound - ★★★★★
BDB #6 Lover Enshrined - ★★★★★
BDB #6.5 Father Mine - ★★★☆☆
BDB #7 Lover Avenged - ★★★★★
BDB #8 Lover Mine - ★★★★★
BDB #9 Lover Unleashed - ★★★★★
BDB #10 Lover Reborn - ★★★★☆
BDB #11 Lover at Last - ★★★☆☆
BDB #12 The King - N/A
BDB #13 The Shadows - ★★☆☆☆
BDL #1 Blood Kiss - ★★★☆☆
BDB #14 The Beast - ★★☆☆☆
BDL #2 Blood Vow - ★★★☆☆
BDB #15 The Chosen - ★★★☆☆
BDL #3 Blood Fury - ★★★☆☆
BDB #15.5 Dearest Ivie - ★★★☆☆
BDB #16 The Thief - ★★★★☆
BDB #16.5 Prisoner of Night - ★★★☆☆
BDB #17 The Savior - ★★★☆☆
BDL #4 Blood Truth - ★★★☆☆
BDB #17.5 Where Winter Finds You - ★★★☆☆
BDB #18 The Sinner - ★★★☆☆
PC #1 The Jackal - ★★★☆☆
BDB #18.5 A Warm Heart in Winter - ★★★★☆
BDB #19 Lover Unveiled - ★★☆☆☆
Lair of the Wolven #1 Claimed - ★★★☆☆

[Mikky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at:


This book started off very slow. When it finally got to the good stuff though it DID NOT disappoint! The story pulled me in enough for me to even like the secondary storyline that was running through everything (which usually doesn't happen in J. R. Ward's books for me). I think that made it even better in some aspects.

I adored Lucan. He was a gentle giant who was forced to become who he became for his survival. I can't wait for him and the rest of his "Pack of Misfits" to eventually meet up with the Jackal and have them be integrated into the BBD series alongside the brothers!

Rio was a bad*ss from the start. I liked that she was very skeptical about Lucan from the start. That didn't magically change from one moment to the other throughout the story either. It was a slow road to trust. Though the jump she made at the end of the book was definitely rash but I understand where she's coming from in a way. I can't wait to see what they are about to unleash on the Prison Camp!

I'm very excited for the next book! I kind of want the next story to be about Apex and how they help the "burn victim" (who has a name but it's a spoiler). It would be nice to read about Mayhem too. Can you tell I want to read all the stories pertaining to the characters in the "Pack of Misfits" in series? 😅

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this review onFresh Fiction

Exciting things are happening when J.R. Ward releases a new Black Dagger Brotherhood book! THE WOLF is the second book in the Prison Camp spin-off. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure how I would love this series because I love the original so much. However, Ward has quickly won over my heart with these shifters. There’s so much to love about this book!

Epic worldbuilding, intriguing and relatable characters, and passionate romance that will melt everyone’s hearts, this book literally has it all. I devoured this book in one sitting and stayed up all through the night to read it. I laughed and cried along with the characters and gobbled up this book to say the least. It’s definitely one of my favorite books of the year!

J.R. Ward can do no wrong in my eyes. She’s the ultimate storyteller that can capture reader’s hearts. Pick up THE WOLF and see for yourself why Rio and Lucan’s story is so captivating in so many ways!

[Lu Michelini · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. This is by far the worst book JR has ever written. I'm so sad. I thought "Claimed" was the lowest I'd ever rate one of her books (2-stars), but this one... There wasn't a single thing I liked about it. At least I couldn't put "Claimed" down, but this dragged on and on, I had to force myself to read it.
Fair warning that this will be full of spoilers and swearing because I'm pissed and can't control myself.

So... What the hell is this so-called "romance"? I already thought the "falling in love in one day" instances were ridiculous, but this wasn't more than a few MINUTES? Lucan literally started saving and bonding with Rio THE. SECOND. he saw her, WTF??!?! And this was a character we already knew from the first Prison Camp, so there was a chance for character development there, but noooo, why bother?
Neither of them have any personalities whatsoever, they are the single most generic characters I've ever read about, and I think J. R. Ward had it this was purposely so that they are completely interchangeable with the "Claimed" characters, to the point where LUC ACTUALLY SAYS RIO "CLAIMED" HIM, WTFFFFFF!!!!!
But instead of having lore about werewolves (Wolven), there is absolutely none, when she could've used this opportunity to make a connection between this book and Claimed and build upon that universe, but I guess the lore will be this watered down mess. Oh, and can anyone possibly justify why Luc ran into the sunlight for no good goddamn reason, when Rio could've brought the bodies out herself?

There are almost no physical descriptions, we only got a very brief one of Lucan's hair towards the end, it seems all Ward describes nowadays is "how enormous" all the characters are, with no other distinctive personality traits. As for Rio, even worse, we don't get anything on her beside her hair color and length.
Oh, and how is she an ex FBI agent turned cop? She has no training, NONE. She CRIES when she's taken by a drug dealer when she's been undercover and knew full well this could happen. She takes unnecessary risks, is (sorry, but it's gotta be said) stupid with decisions, and resorts to beating Mozart when she finally meets him without any consideration to... um... the law?!
To make the physical part of it worse, both of the sex scenes are so ridiculous I couldn't read them without rolling my eyes every five seconds. The timing on the first one isn't funny or laughable, it just makes it unbelievable to the point it breaks any immersion I could possibly have. And the characters themselves keep making remarks on how "rushed" it is, but they even have time for foreplay!
I don't even know how they met the second time they had sex, they just ran into each other's arms out of the blue with no explanation and had sex I don't even know where.
Same with how Rio finds out Luc is a hybrid - what the hell was that cousin running toward Rio's car all of a sudden? At no point was there any explanation provided!!!! And she just accepted it and they move on to kill Mozart together, just like that, easy peasy.
Why did it take so long, then, to the point that whole arc with cops dying had to be a part of A. SUPERNATURAL. BOOK??? I don't give a shit about cops here! (really, not even Butch at this point)
I'm also sick of reading about fucking Jose De La Cruz, I sweat to God if I have to read one more paragraph about him I'm gonna tear my hair out! I simply DON'T CARE.

Then comes Vishous. I never understood why anyone even liked him, much less why he's one of the most popular (if not the most) BDB character. But he's been getting worse and worse in each book he appears, losing his temper over every little thing, treating Jane despicably and now... he's downright disgusting - and I'm not talking about that sex scene, though that's not my cup of tea either and I found myself uncomfortably accelerating my reading speed in order to get through it faster (I mean, WHO in the their right minds wants to read about SYRINGE play?! I'm TERRIFIED of needles). Oh, and to add salt to the cut, Marissa and Butch are apparently ACTUALLY there, and not just a fantasy of V's, which is even worse.
But the fact he IS in love with Butcher and is still with Jane, lying to her AND to himself, is just gross. Just because his POV says he's not in love or lying, it doesn't mean he isn't. It's the actions that define something, not the words, and the truth is that all of V's emotional needs are fulfilled by Butch while Jane is basically just a (forgive my words, but) fuck hole. Seriously, I can't remember any cute and tender moment shared between them since book... I don't even know, since the many, many books ago. In fact, as while Vishous becomes more and more of a scumbag, Jane loses her personality altogether. She no longer anything other than the Brotherhood's doctor, and that's her whole character arc. It's a tragedy.

Even Rhage, one of my top 3 favorite BDB characters ever, is starting to annoy me. Almost all of his scenes are about eating now, it's basically his only personality trait these days. I'm also a Taurus and it gets on my nerves that this is all we're ever described as - liking food IS NOT something interesting about someone, because, guess what, MOST PEOPLE like food!!

The Prison Camp's storyline itself doesn't make a lot of sense - why is the Brotherhood seemingly doing nothing about it if they have nothing else to do now - or rather, when is this even happening in the BDB timeline? And how come the Command was able to not only get from the previous camp to this prison while moving over 300 prisoners, but also set up an entire drug operation - which, btw, Lucan is able to destroy within a matter of minutes - when the fucking king of the vampires and the strongest, most badass vampires in the world can't find even one piece of information? It's extremely hard to believe all of it. And I'm getting sick and tired of WOMEN being the torturers of that prison - especially in a sexist vampire world.
The Jackal's bit of storyline was also completely unnecessary, since in the end it served absolutely no purpose but to... stall? Increase the word count? Like Vishous himself said, a moot point.

The ONLY thing I liked about this book was Apex and Kane's possible relationship, and all the "prison crew", Mayhem, etc. But at this point, I'm pretty sure Ward is about to butcher that as well, and shove their romance with no buildup and a rushed plot crammed into a single senseless book that adds nothing to the BDB universe.

Oh, btw, when did it become okay for supernatural beings to be with humans?! Because as far as I remember, that was COMPLETELY FORBIDEN for vampires. And while there are many humans within the Brotherhood itself now... it's not like Wrath made a proclamation saying it's totally okay now, is it?! We, as readers, know that it would be eventually accepted, but the rest of the characters DON'T!! They're not omniscient, they have to BE TOLD that in order to acquire that knowledge!

I simply can't defend J. R. Ward anymore. And boy, did I try my best.

Example of bad writing, not even justifying anything:
"Lucan had found Kane in the rubble. The collar blast had somehow been turned away from him, maybe from a malfunction, who the hell knew"

[Kk · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars because..really.. that's all I got for it.


This is book is just another example of why this series should probably be ended. Its basically two stories running concurrent to each other. Lucan and Rio with V with Jane and Butch and the WTF layers of baggage that never goes away. If she had shortened Vishous’ POV, then expanded Lucan and Rio, it would have been a great story! Lucan and Rio were so sweet. I would have loved to have read more about their relationship but unfortunately, that never happens anymore. I don’t know if its JRW’s way of trying to spice up what might be a limp plot with Slices of Life from other characters but its annoying in the extreme.

The first 8 books in this series were based upon a brother and the threat of the Lessening Society. Book 9 was an anthology with Payne and Manny being just another story in the mix. It went down from there. Tohr and Autumn and Tohr’s treatment of her. Now there is an assassin with strange Hannible Lecter leanings running around with a Lesser’s description. Greatttt…

Here We GO… Danger.. Danger.. Spoilers Ahead!
And wow! Kane is alive and thanks to that ending blast in the Jackal has been transformed into Luhcas Part 2. There seems to be a trend with JRW’s need to have some type of crippled and/or severely injured side character in each series. It becomes frustrating that she isn’t branching out into other storylines.

Jackal made an appearance, but he should be called lapdog now. He has a vampire’s version of survivor’s guilt & can’t seem to move forward. Basically pushing his way into the BDB to try & find his camp mates, it rubs V in all ways that are wrong. It takes a sudden needing from Nyx to keep him at home.

Since Jackal is Rhage’s half-brother, its just another unexplored connection. This book like these later books is trying to delve into the concept of non-blood related families vs. birth families. BDB is a ‘brotherhood’; the police are a ‘brotherhood’. Icor was the odd/strange addition based upon the fact that he was raised in the Bloodletter’s camp & considered him his sire but he is Tohr’s half-brother. Ruhn is Bitty’s uncle but both have been taken in by Rhage and Mary. It’s a soft concept that goes nowhere or just JRW’s attempt push current culture into her work.

Considering how misogynist the vampire race is, they are quite progressive when it comes their prisons. The Command was a female. The head of the guards is a possible former assassin who is trying to take over. No talk about how she manipulated her way to the top like Nyx’s sister.. she’s just there.

Jose makes an appearance.. along with his buddy a corrupt police chief that’s pissed he had to pay an ex wife when she walked. That’s a bit current, isn’t it? A cop that’s pissed he has to share with the wife who couldn’t take picking up behind him on the daily. There is a whole description on who is ex wife would go help the families of slain police officers, above and beyond anything else. They had no kids because probably was never home long enough between the a$$ kissing sessions to form a meaningful connection.

Side plot vs. Main Plot
Vishous… Again… Did we not get enough of his damage in the Legacy series? Were not his issues worked out and explained and subsequently ignored in previous books? Why is said baggage being yanked into this book? I suppose since his almost infidelity happened 4 books ago, it’s not to be discussed anymore. Just sweep that sh*t under a rug and wipe it from existence.

So that being said, we get a front seat to his jealousy trip and his medical kink. Im glad to see that the bromance is still strong with Butch, but does it still have to be regurgitated in book after book? Roll them into bed or leave them alone. Because it’s getting a bit much.

There are other characters that are getting sweep to the side with a minor line here and there. Tohr & Icor in the hall while Vishous was coming in his pants. Has anyone seen Payne in a few books? Baltz and Sahvage, Muhrder were apparently floaters who surfed in and have paddled off to other directions.

This isn’t a good book worth the price. I read an article written about JRW before the pandemic which stated she writes daily, 365 days a year. Maybe she should take a week off, take a vacay somewhere, soak up the local scene … then maybe write something different. … The same stuff is getting stale..

[Carissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 14%

Story isn't grabbing me and way too many povs that the main couple Lucan and Rio are basically a side romance here. I don't like that at all.

[(the.darkandmoody.reader) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5 — Ward, you did Vishous so wrong. I’m out.

[AlwaysV · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could, I would've rated this book Negative Three Hundred Sixty Stars * -360.* Because of this innocent PG 13 scene:

From out of the corner of his eye, V saw Butch's arm flop onto the vacant cushion between them, the palm of his dagger hand laying flat.

Vishous's own arm moved.
And as he laid his leather gloved hand on his roommate's are one, the grip that held him was firm, strong. As permanent as anything mortal could be. . . V . . . squeezed hard.

Even in his post-session float, he couldn't explain how important that reassurance was to him—and how special it was to be accepted for who he was by not only his mate, but his best friend and Marissa. As extreme as he needed to get every one in a while, it was a blessing to be embraced without exception. . . loved. . .

They continue to hold hands, and watch the movie, and sit side by side. It was so comfortable and simple; it was like they had done this all their lives. And the good news, V knew, was that they would be doing it. . .
. . . for the rest of their lives.

But I couldn't be that spiteful. So! One Lousy Star it had to be.

The story of Lucan & Rio (Ainhoa Fiorela Maite Hernamdez-Guerrero) was entertaining & quirky fun! Loved their time together so much. Definitely loved reading more about the Jackal & Nyx.

And yeah ~ I'd still want to read Lassiter's upcoming love story. For sure! Repeat ➡️ I wasn't that spiteful ~ much 😝

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must say that if it weren't for the fact that the publisher made a mistake by sending me this ARC instead of Lover Arisen, I would not have ever read it. I'm not sorry I did read it. It was quite the story except for the love side of it. Too fast, too furious, too dangerous.

Frankly, though, I would not have spent $15.00 on an off-shoot of the Brotherhood series. But now that I've read it, I may see if my library has the first book and if they will be carrying the third.

I do love her new Wolven Claimed series (or at least the first book of it), so I want to read more about the wolves/vampire characters. This book gave me a better understanding of this new species.

My thanks to the publisher for making this mistake!

[Claudia Ayala · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4

What I liked the most about this book were the events with José de La Cruz, which was always an unfinished thread from the BDB series.

I’m not fond of V’s traumas and the way he deals with them.

[Nubia Souza · Rating 2 out of 5]

** Minor spoilers ahead **

My biggest issue here comes from the fact that for a book entitled THE WOLF one would think that you would learn more about the main character, you know, since it is the freaking title of the book!! But nooooooooo, let's read more about the Vutch bromance because we NEVER read about that! It's not like it doesn't appear in EVERY.SINGLE.BOOK of the BDB world. Seriously, enough is enough. Tell me about the wolf! 60 chapters and we know close to nothing about him. Last time I checked, the book was supposed to be about him! Where does he come from? Who raised him? Where are the others from his clan? What does he know about his parents? Do full moons affect the wolven? What do the ones who aren't half vampires eat? It's absurd the lack of information on the main character and his species! If J.R.W wanted to write so much about the dysfunctional relationship (yes, I'm judging, not sorry) between Vutch and their shellans, write a novella revisiting them or use the Caldwell Journal, as always! But don't steal pages, chapters, half a book which was supposed to introduce us to this species that had been briefly mentioned before. I was so curious about the wolven, but all I got was about 12 pages with really new and valuable information. Everything else was a total waste with the same old, same old. I just don't give this book 1 star because I actually liked Lucan and Rio. I am really upset that we didn't get to learn more about them, specially Lucan.

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must say that if it weren't for the fact that the publisher made a mistake by sending me this ARC instead of Lover Arisen, I would not have ever read it. I'm not sorry I did read it. It was quite the story except for the love side of it. Too fast, too furious, too dangerous.

Frankly, though, I would not have spent $15.00 on an off-shoot of the Brotherhood series. But now that I've read it, I may see if my library has the first book and if they will be carrying the third.

I do love her new Wolven Claimed series (or at least the first book of it), so I want to read more about the wolves/vampire characters. This book gave me a better understanding of this new species.

My thanks to the publisher for making this mistake!

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is the second book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp series, and is the story of Lucan, a wolven/vampire hybrid who we met in the first book (The Jackal).

A prison escape at the end of The Jackal had us assuming that all of the prisoners went on their merry way to live happy lives. Not so. Lucan was caught up in the immediate mayhem, and has been forced into becoming a liaison for the re-established illegal prison’s drug trade. This brings him into contact with Rio. Rio is the second in charge for the competing drug kingpin in Caldwell, putting them in direct competition. Rio is actually an undercover police officer, and when she finds herself in trouble, it’s Lucan who comes to her defence, and the two of them find themselves stuck in the middle of a drug war between the two organisations, complicated by crooked police, and the secrets of Lucan’s world.

It’s an exciting and fast-paced storyline, and I admit that between all of the events, the different POVs, and Ward’s verbose writing style, it took me a little bit to figure out what was going on, but I got on board, and was able to enjoy the ride as we’re taken back into the prison colony, and watch Lucan and Rio’s forbidden, enemies-to-lovers romance.

I enjoyed the connection between these two characters. The chemistry is great, and even though the story (and therefor the romance) moves quickly, you can tell there’s a strong emotional element to their attraction. But they have pretty much everything standing in their way, and it’s a wild ride as they figure out who is after them, find and take down the bad guy, and come to terms with what they mean to each other.

Along the way, we get to catch up with some of my favourite brothers, the Troika is back! V, Butch and Rhage have teamed up, and their investigation into the mysterious prison camp has them crossing paths with the chaos left in the wake of Lucan and Rio’s adventures, and I freaking loved seeing the three of them back together. Rhage is hilarious and brings some wonderfully light moments to the story, which balances well when V finds himself in a dark place. Ward delves pretty deeply into the brother’s psyche, and we get to see some surprising and significant moments for him - the V and Butch bromance continues to burn brightly and had me raising my eyebrows more than once! Thankfully, Jane gets a look in this time though – I loved seeing them still so in love, and in tune with each other.

There are twists and turns, and a few surprises along the way before the book ends – more abruptly than I was expecting. It’s a happy-ish ending, with a lot more story to be told, and I’m looking forward to reading more from this spin-off series.

3.5 stars!

[Tanja ~ KT Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how the beginning of every one of JR wards books begins with us immersed in a different situation. The dark gritty surroundings immediately sets the mood, the pace, and gives you a bit of foreboding excitement for what’s to come. J.R. Ward has the ability to immediately immerse the reader in everything new and exciting. The Wolf shows us the underbelly of the black dagger brotherhood world. The brotherhood, as well as the reader, searches for what’s happening in the dark corners of Cawldwell. We catch glimpses of beloved and new characters in previous books. It makes The Wolf a terrifying and exciting read. I am thrilled about what’s to come in this world. Sharpen those claws and hold tight book friends November 9th is closing in and this one will have you howling with excitement.

~Tanja


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[Lorrie (Clockworkbookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 - Not my favorite in the series and a bit slow to catch my interest, but it had a few good moments and I was actually disappointed it was ended on such a cliffhanger.

I loved seeing Butch's old partner Homicide Detective José de la Cruz, such a sweetheart.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Second in the Prison Camp paranormal romance subseries set in Caldwell (and Connelly), New York, and revolving around vampires, wolven, and cops. (It's part of the The Black Dagger Brotherhood universe.) The couple focus is on Lucan and Rio. If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books on my website.

My Take
I had a hard time reading The Wolf, it was so boring. Loyalty is good. Caring for others is good. Nothing wrong there, but Ward never explained why the three, er, four, of them didn't set everyone free. What did they need to stay for? What was the point?

It's sad, as the characters weren't boring, but the action was, even with Ward using third person global subjective point-of-view, mainly from Rio's and Lucan's perspectives. We do get chunks from V as he thinks about his own issues, and José has his own thoughts about policing, Butch, and the patience of his lovely wife.

Ward kept going on and on and on with Lucan and Rio obsessing over wanting each other yet keeping their hands off. It makes V's issues so much more interesting. Oy. Whatever happened with that video camera trained on Rio? How does Rio's old patrol partner have a key to her apartment, if she's been seconded from the FBI? If Luis' problem(s) led to using drugs, why does Ward dance all around it? Is there some reason we're not supposed to know what set Luis off? The Executioner has superstitions . . . Yeah? So what are they? Give us a hint. As for Walters . . . what's that? A town? I know it's not Willows, which is located in Connelly . . .? I can't imagine any other place Lucan and Rio may want to liberate.

It's a good thing Ward mentioned that Lucan had claimed Rio. I still didn't believe it because Ward didn't do much to make me believe it.

Ya know, it's so easy for Lucan and his conspirators to keep Rio hidden and then get her out, so why is it so hard to not escape with their burned friend?

I do enjoy the snarky exchanges between the Brothers of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, but it felt as if Ward went overboard on it. Hey, if I'm thinking it, it must be, lol.

Poor Jack. He can't get past being free, not while his brothers are still imprisoned. And it's a bad case of survivor's guilt. Going way back in time, we get a perspective on Butch's previous life as a detective when José reminisces about his old partner.

Yeah, there's action, but it's overwhelmed by the whining. Still, I do want to read #3, if only to see that prison camp busted . . . I hope.

The Story
After events in The Jackal , the Brotherhood wants, needs, to find the location of that new prison camp.

What Rio wants is Mozart.

The Characters
Officer Ainhoa Fiorela Maite Hernandez-Guerrero, a.k.a. Rio, is undercover looking to pin a drug dealer. As Rio, she's one of Mozart's lieutenants. Luis is the brother who died of an overdose. Her mother drank herself to death after that; her father left after the funeral.

Lucan "Luke", a half-wolven half-vampire imprisoned since 1983, is forced into acting as a drug supplier by the prison camp commandant.

The Black Dagger Brotherhood is . . .
. . . the royal vampire guard for Wrath, the Blind King of the vampires. George is Wrath's seeing-eye dog. Vishous "V", with that lethal hand of his and his foresight with a passion for S&M due to his upbringing as the son of the Bloodletter, is mated to the half-human, half-ghost Doc Jane, a trauma surgeon ( Lover Unbound , 5). They room in The Pit with Brian "Butch" O'Neal, a half-human, half-vampire former Boston detective who disappeared. Butch was the coming of a prophecy, the Dhestroyer who was the answer to the vampires' prayers. Rhage, a.k.a. Hollywood, who loves candy and eating, turns into a gigantic purple dragon. He's happily mated to Mary, a therapist ( Lover Eternal , 2). Lassiter is a fallen angel who has taken on the role of the Scribe Virgin ( The Thief , 16). Tohr is one of the original Brothers ( Lover Reborn , 10), and Xcor is the leader of the Band of Bastards ( The Chosen , 15).

Fritz Perlmutter is the ancient doggen who runs the household. Saxton is the Brotherhood's solicitor, an expert in the Old Laws and mated to Ruhn ( Blood Fury , 3 ( Blood Fury , (Black Dagger Legacy 3). Darius had built the mansion to house the Brothers and keep them safe. His home in the city is used as a meeting place between the king and his people.

Jack "The Jackal" is a vampire architect who had designed the mansion Darius built up in the hills. Nyx is the vampire he mated in The Jackal , 1. Peter is the son the old commandant (and Peter's mother) had held over his head. Nyx has a sister, Posie, and Grandfather living with them as well.

Caldwell PD
Captain Stanley Carmichael is in charge. Willie is Carmichael's executive assistant. Detective José de la Cruz works Homicide — he's retiring in two weeks! — and has been friends with Stan forever. He had also been Butch's partner and still misses him very much. Detective Tryvon Abscott is José's new partner and has a wife, Qiana, and two kids. Officer Tan is with Internal Affairs. Kim is with scene-of-crime. Officer Leon Roberts had been an undercover officer and Rio's handler.

Ruby is Stan's happy ex-wife. José's wife is studying for her PhD.

Mozart is the alias for a major drug dealer. Mickie is one of his dealers. Erie is another of Mozart's lieutenants. Chins is rumored to be Mozart's eyes on the street.

Johnny Two Shoes had been an associate of Mozart's biggest competition in the state. The Ballous.

Willow Hills Sanatorium, Connelly, New York, is . . .
. . . an abandoned hospital taken over by the fleeing prison officials with their prisoners. Originally set up by the glymera as a legit prison, it's now used as a dumping ground for vampires they're angry at. The Executioner runs the place. There's a female head of the guards. Mayhem, a murderer who killed because he was bored and the nasty Apex, another killer, are Lucan's only allies inside. Kane had been an aristocrat framed for murder by his father, and he had committed suicide to help Jack and Nyx escape in The Jackal . Nadya is a nurse.

Tiller and Gordo are the young teens who dare the boundaries of the sanatorium. Isaac and Mark were grounded after that fire at the Thompsons. Spaz is a drug addict Rio is trying to help. Maria is fleeing an abusive boyfriend. Stephan Fontaine is a wealthy philanthropist who recently moved to Caldwell. The pregnant Elsie Orchard is Rio's neighbor.

Glymera is the class of vampires at the top of the social heap. The Lessening Society had been the vampires' main enemy.

The Cover and Title
The cover is deep in grays and greens that form the cell bars the half-naked Lucan is grasping. We primarily see that well-muscled arm with his body in profile although his head with those gorgeous blue eyes are turned towards us. The author's name is in an embossed yellow and starts at Lucan's nose. The title uses the same embossed yellow and begins at the crease of his elbow. Below that is the series information in white.

The title is all about Lucan, The Wolf.

[Reads & Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book two in JR Ward’s Prison Camp series, The Wolf brings readers back to Caldwell with a healthy dose of the Brotherhood in addition to undercover police officer, Rio, and the wolven she falls for, Lucan. Fresh from The Jackal, book one in this series, are Lucan, Mayhem, and Apex. All three are still prisoners of the camp The Jackal, aka Jack, escaped from in book one.

I enjoyed reading The Wolf, for the most part, but there was a lot that bugged me and some of that was a double-edged sword. Vishous, Rhage, Butch, and Wrath get a lot of page time, including some hot and sexy from V and Jane. The problem? It added nothing to Lucan and Rio’s story. We get to see Jack but, again, his time on page added nothing to the romance or the overall story. It felt very gratuitous. On the other hand, we get multiple chapters from Detective José de la Cruz’s POV which flowed organically into the overall story.

I loved Rio. Ward always insists that she has a tough time writing female characters, but I think she does a great job. To quote another favorite author, Rio is ‘da bomb. She kicks ass even when hers has been kicked to oblivion. She’s loyal and handles the prison camp vampires with ease. I loved seeing her interact with Apex and Mayhem which, for me, was when the book really picked up.

Lucan is great. He’s got a tortured hero thing going on which becomes obvious as more of his backstory is revealed. His friendship with Mayhem and Apex is very reminiscent of the Brotherhood friendship and truly that’s where the book stood out. I could have read about them and their hijinks for hours.

For me, the biggest disappointment of The Wolf is how it deviated from The Jackal. The Jackal was very much a paranormal romance. There’s some action thrown in and the backstory of the prison camp bolstered the romance between Jack and Nyx. While there were chapters dedicated to flashbacks featuring Rhage and Darius, those were necessary to Jack’s backstory. All together I can say I fell in love with Jack and Nyx and really felt their connection. The Wolf, on the other hand, read like urban fantasy with multiple POVs, which had nothing to do with the romance. I never really fell in love with Rio and Lucan and preferred their scenes with other characters rather than their time together. The Jackal can easily be read by someone not familiar with the overall BDB world (which is great to bring in new readers!) but, if you’re going to read The Wolf, you’ll definitely need to have some knowledge of the other BDB series.

There is some hot and heavy featuring both couples, Lucan and Rio and (separately) V and Jane which was written in Ward’s sizzling style. There are scenes of kidnapping and sexual assault, so be mindful of that. The ending is rushed, which was very disappointing in regards to the romance; the book definitely could have benefitted from more pages dedicated to Lucan and Rio.

Thank you to Gallery Books for a finished copy in exchange for honest feedback.

[M.E. Carter]

Man, that was good.

[Kimbot the Destroyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nonsensical garbage with the prison camp and wolven. Expectations were zero. Getting some kind of resolution with Jose was a pleasant bonus. This is not the worst spin off series of BDB.

[Ale Rivero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó, Ward me tiene muy intrigada por el camino que va a seguir en esta saga del Campamento de Prisioneros.
Lucan fue un personaje del que me habían quedado ganas de saber más y me han vuelto a quedar más ganas 🤭 es interesante que la autora se haya decidido a incorporar licántropos a su mundo.
Rio me gustó mucho como protagonista femenina, es bastante real en su carácter, me gusta su personalidad.
Espero a futuro ver más de la pareja, acá cobraron relevancia otras situaciones.

P. D.: Los momentos de los Hermanos los amé y Jane y Vishous🔥

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was super excited to start this book. And it was great to get back into the brothers again. Omg rhage and his m&m’s. Lol poor V. he went through some emotional problems in the book this time. If I had to say something bad about a book it was the ending.. what happened to the prison and mayhem I loved his character and apex and Kane. I needed answers lol.. but loved thisAnd book and the storyline was unreal and the sex whew talk about hot hot hot.. bring on the next one ..

[Cindyg · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG…I can’t wait to find out who is behind this shit. It’s driving me crazy.
Great read!
Highly recommend!

[The Romance Book Disciple (Samantha) · Rating 4 out of 5]

No one builds a world quite as well as JR Ward, and The Wolf is no exception. This is book 2 in the BDB spin off, Prison Camp, and it delivers everything you expect from Ward.

Rio and Lucan have a love story that is fraught with danger and illicit activities. I felt as if there was a sort of mystery I was trying to solve. What was really going on here? I loved that aspect. Lucan is a classic BDB tortured hero and Rio is a badass for sure. However, all this "extra" takes away time from the romance, and I felt that loss. You do get lots of peeks as past BDB characters which is the norm for Ward, but again, takes away from this story's characters.

Despite my minor issues, I really loved The Wolf! It is a very intriguing book with lots happening that will keep you furiously flipping pages!

 

  POV: multiple
  Tears: no
  Trope: shifters, vampires
  Series/Standalone: series
  Cliffhanger: no
  HEA: yes

other well build worlds like The Carpathian series by Christine Feehan, The Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh...then you will probably like The Wolf!

The Wolf

See full review on The Book Disciple

[Svenja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das geheime Gefängnis der Glymera ist samt Insassen weitergezogen, aber die illegalen Machenschaften hören nicht auf. Wolven Lucan muss gegen seinen Willen Drogen schmuggeln und trifft dabei die gefährliche Rio. Sie zieht ihn magisch an und nachdem er ihr das Leben rettet, fängt auch Rio an Lucan zu vertrauen.

Wolven Lucan ist ja aus Teil 1 schon bekannt und ist ein düsterer Charakter, den man aber dadurch umso interessanter findet. Man merkt schnell, dass er trotz allem einer von den guten ist. Mit Rio hatte ich da zumindest am Anfang eher Probleme. Sie ist taff, aber ich hätte mir früher die verletzliche Seite gewünscht.

Super ist es aber weiterhin, dass auch Charakteren der Black-Dagger-Bruderschaft auftauchen und eine Rolle spielen.

Ich finde die Geschichte unheimlich komplex aber gerade deswegen auch gut. Wie gewohnt wird nicht nur aus einer Perspektive erzählt und J.R. Ward bleibt bei der Erzählung kreativ und fantasievoll.

Insgesamt ein tolles Buch, das nicht so schnell durchgelesen ist, aber dafür umso unterhaltsamer und spannender ist.