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Ranking Author J.R. Ward’s Best Books (A Bibliography Countdown)

“What are J.R. Ward’s Best Books?” We looked at all of Ward’s authored bibliography and ranked them against one another to answer that very question!

We took all of the books written by J.R. Ward and looked at their Goodreads, Amazon, and LibraryThing scores, ranking them against one another to see which books came out on top. The books are ranked in our list below based on which titles have the highest overall score between all 3 review sites in comparison with all of the other books by the same author. The process isn’t super scientific and in reality, most books aren’t “better” than other books as much as they are just different. That being said, we do enjoy seeing where our favorites landed, and if you aren’t familiar with the author at all, the rankings can help you see what books might be best to start with.

The full ranking chart is also included below the countdown on the bottom of the page.

Happy Scrolling!



The Top Book’s Of J.R. Ward



39 ) Consumed

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 32
  • Amazon: 38
  • LibraryThing: 32

Anne Ashburn, who is consumed by her troubled past, her family’s scorched legacy, and her current case: chasing a deadly killer. Anne Ashburn is a woman consumed… By her bitter family legacy, by her scorched career as a firefighter, by her obsession with department bad-boy Danny McGuire, and by a new case that pits her against a fiery killer. Strong-willed Anne was fearless and loved the thrill of fighting fires, pushing herself to be the best. But when one risky decision at a warehouse fire changes her life forever, Anne must reinvent not only her job, but her whole self. Shattered and demoralized, Anne finds her new career as an arson investigator a pale substitute for the adrenaline-fueled life she left behind. She doesn’t believe she will ever feel that same all-consuming passion for her job again–until she encounters a string of suspicious fires setting her beloved city ablaze. Danny McGuire is a premiere fireman, best in the county, but in the midst of a personal meltdown. Danny is taking risks like never before and seems to have a death wish until he teams up with Anne to find the fire starter. But Danny may be more than a distraction, and as Anne narrows in on her target, the arsonist begins to target her. From the creator of the bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood, get ready for a new band of brothers. And a firestorm.



38 ) The Story of Son

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 36
  • Amazon: 30
  • LibraryThing: 32

Available for the first time ever as a standalone ebook, get lost in the sinful pleasures of a vampire so obsessed with one woman, he will relinquish her blood, if only he can have her heart… Held captive by a dark, seductive vampire with an unworldly hunger, the beautiful Claire Stroughton fears her life as a lawyer has irrevocably taken a turn for the worse. But when this deeply sensual-and highly dangerous-vampire convinces Claire that his desire for her is stronger than his lust for blood, she is compelled to give everything up to him, body and soul…in The Story of Son.



37 ) Covet

	Covet

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 33
  • Amazon: 34
  • LibraryThing: 30

Redemption isn’t a word Jim Heron knows much about-his specialty is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charge with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. And failure is not an option. Vin DiPietro long ago sold his soul to his business, and he’s good with that-until fate intervenes in the form of a tough- talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior. But then he meets a woman who will make him question his destiny, his sanity, and his heart-and he has to work with a fallen angel to win her over and redeem his own soul.



36 ) The Bourbon Kings

	The Bourbon Kings

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 34
  • Amazon: 30
  • LibraryThing: 31

For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege – as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet. For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted – and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane’s beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the ironfisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets. As family tensions – professional and intimately private – ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.



35 ) Dead After Dark

	Dead After Dark

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 29
  • Amazon: 37
  • LibraryThing: 26

Now, with her patria under fire, she has to protect her people from Fury and his werewolf clan. Vowing to bring him to justice, Angelia sets out alone… until the hunter becomes the hunted, and the only way for her to survive is to trust the very wolf she’s sworn to kill. J.R. WARD “The Story of Son” Claire Stroughton is a beautiful lawyer who would rather spend the night with a legal brief than the man of her dreams. Then a routine client meeting turns dangerous – and deeply sensual – when she is held captive by a gorgeous man with an unworldly hunger… SUSAN SQUIRES “Seize the Night” When Drew Carlowe returns home to win back a lost love, he is quick to dismiss rumors that his estate is haunted by a stunning young ghost…until one passionate encounter leaves him mystified – and aching for more. DIANNA LOVE “Midnight Kiss Goodbye” Trey McCree possesses an insatiable desire for Sasha Armand – and supernatural powers that could endanger her life as a human. But when they team up to stop an evil warlord, Trey discovers that Sasha can do way more than



34 ) Prisoner of Night

	Prisoner of Night

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 31
  • Amazon: 34
  • LibraryThing: 25

J.R. Ward comes an unforgettable story of passion and vengeance in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world. When Ahmare’s brother is abducted, there is nothing she won’t do to get him back safely. She is unprepared, however, for the lengths she will have to go to save his life. Paired with a dangerous but enticing prisoner, she embarks on an odyssey into another world. Duran, betrayed by his father, imprisoned in a dungeon for decades, has survived only because of his thirst for vengeance. He has been biding his time to escape and is shocked to find an unlikely and temporary freedom in the form of a determined young female. Battling against deadly forces and facing unforeseen peril, the pair are in a race to save Ahmare’s brother. As time runs out, and the unthinkable looms, even true love may not be enough to carry them through.



33 ) Crave

	Crave

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 30
  • Amazon: 30
  • LibraryThing: 28

The battle between good and evil has left the future of humanity in the hands of a reluctant savior and his band of fallen angels. Seven deadly sins that must be righted. Seven souls that must be saved. While his first task was success, Jim Heron is battling a demon that can take any form for the soul of someone he must identify on his own. If that weren’t enough, his old boss Matthias wants Jim to assassinate an AWOL member of The Firm – Isaac, the man Jim is pretty sure he is supposed to save. Jim knows first hand that once you’re in The Firm, there’s no getting out. But when Jim finds Isaac to warn him, he has been picked up by the police for illegal street fighting, and it is clear that Isaac is falling for his gorgeous public defender. Is their love the redemption that will save Isaac’s soul? Or has the demon Devina set an elaborate trap?



32 ) Lover Enshrined

	Lover Enshrined

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 28
  • Amazon: 34
  • LibraryThing: 23

As Primale of the Chosen, the fiercely loyal Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of his race. But his first mate, the Chosen Cormia, wants not only his body but his heart for herself. As tragedy looms over the Brotherhood’s mansion, Phury must decide between duty and love.



31 ) Possession

	Possession

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 23
  • Amazon: 25
  • LibraryThing: 29

J.R. Ward explores what really happens when good and evil toy with humanity in her new novel of the Fallen Angels, as the salvation of a doomed soul depends once again on a crossroads…. When Cait Douglass resolves to get over her broken heart, throw off her inhibitions, and start really living, she’s unprepared for the two sensual men who cross her path. Torn between them, she doesn’t know which to choose – or what kind of dire consequences could follow. Jim Heron, fallen angel and reluctant savior, is ahead in the war, but he puts everything at risk when he seeks to make a deal with the devil – literally. As yet another soul is unwittingly caught in the battle between him and the demon Devina, his fixation on an innocent trapped in Hell threatens to sidetrack him from his sacred duty…. Can good still prevail if true love makes a savior weak? And will a woman’s future be the key, or the curse, for all of humanity? Only time, and hearts, will tell.



29 ) Blood Sample 7

	Blood Sample 7

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 1
  • Amazon: 38
  • LibraryThing: 32



29 ) The Angels’ Share

	The Angels' Share

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 27
  • Amazon: 18
  • LibraryThing: 26

Downton Abbey meets Dynasty in this richly imagined, captivating family saga, said USAToday.com about The Bourbon Kings. Now the series continues, as the Bradford family’s facade of privilege and prosperity is threatened by secrets and indiscretions. . . . The Bradford family is the creme de la creme of high society in Charlemont, Kentucky – just like their exclusive brand of bourbon. But no one is above suspicion once the apparent suicide of the family patriarch begins to look like murder – especially the eldest Bradford son, Edward. The bad blood between his father and him is known far and wide. As the investigation intensifies, he keeps himself busy at the bottom of a bottle – and with two women who may or may not have his best interests at heart… Then, on the very brink of the family’s demise, someone thought lost to them forever returns to the fold. Maxwell Bradford has come home. But is he a savior . . . or the worst of all the sinners?



27 ) Father Mine

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 36
  • Amazon: 2
  • LibraryThing: 32

Readers met and fell in love with Zsadist and Bella in J. R. Ward’s third New York Times bestselling novel in the “Black Dagger Brotherhood” series, Lover Awakened. As a former blood slave, Zsadist bore the scars from a past filled with suffering and degradation until Bella came along and helped heal his emotional wounds. Now, though, with the birth of their child, the demons of his past have been resurrected, called forth by the innocent eyes of his beloved daughter, Nalla. Unless Bella and Nalla can bring him back with their love, he may be lost to them forever.



27 ) Dearest Ivie

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 36
  • Amazon: 2
  • LibraryThing: 32

The last place Ivie expects to be approached by a devastatingly handsome male is in a crowded, smoky cigar bar rarely frequented by vampires-yet here he stands. Silas is flirtatious, gallant, and, above all, mysterious. Ivie is anything but. A nurse at the healer’s clinic and the daughter of a biker, Ivie is accustomed to speaking her mind. So she does. Since aristocrats rarely pick up females of her class, Ivie asks Silas just what kind of game he thinks he’s playing. Despite her guarded exterior, Ivie surrenders to the fierce desire she feels for Silas. And yet, just as their courtship is heating up, he reveals that it cannot last, for he is bound to return to the Old Country. Their bond only deepens as they make the most of their precious time together. But when she learns the truth, Ivie must find a saving grace-before all is lost. . . .



24 ) Envy

	Envy

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 23
  • Amazon: 25
  • LibraryThing: 21

As the son of a serial killer, homicide detective Thomas ‘Veck’ DelVecchio, Jr., grew up in the shadow of evil. Now, on the knife-edge between civic duty and blind retribution, he atones for the sins of his father – while fighting his inner demons. Assigned to monitor Veck is Internal Affairs officer Sophia Reilly, whose interest in him is both professional and arousingly personal. And Veck and Sophia have another link: Jim Heron, a mysterious stranger with too many answers…to questions that are deadly. When Veck and Sophia are drawn into the ultimate battle between good and evil, their fallen angel savior is the only thing that stands between them and eternal damnation.



24 ) Blood Truth

	Blood Truth

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 35
  • Amazon: 2
  • LibraryThing: 32

As a trainee in the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s program, Boone has triumphed as a soldier and now fights side by side with the Brothers. Following his sire’s unexpected death, he is taken off rotation against his protests – and he finds himself working with Butch O’Neal, former homicide cop, to catch a serial killer: Someone is targeting females of the species at a live action role play club. When the Brotherhood is called in to help, Boone insists on being a part of the effort – and the last thing he expects is to meet an enticing, mysterious female…who changes his life forever. Ever since her sister was murdered at the club, Helaine has been committed to finding the killer, no matter the danger she faces. When she crosses paths with Boone, she doesn’t know whether to trust him or not – and then she has no choice. As she herself becomes a target, and someone close to the Brotherhood is identified as the prime suspect, the two must work to together to solve the mystery…before it’s too late. Will a madman come between the lovers or will true love and goodness triumph over a very mortal evil?



24 ) Blood Lust 6

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 36
  • Amazon: 1
  • LibraryThing: 32



23 ) Rapture

	Rapture

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 26
  • Amazon: 18
  • LibraryThing: 24

Mels Carmichael, reporter for the Caldwell Courier Journal, gets the shock of her life when a man stumbles in front of her car outside the local cemetery. After the accident, his amnesia is just the kind of mystery she likes to solve, but she soon discovers they’re over their heads with his past. Over their heads with passion, too …As shadows walk the line between reality and another realm, and her lover’s memory begins to come back, the two of them learn that nothing is truly dead and buried. Especially when you’re trapped in a no-holds-barred war between angels and demons. With a soul on the line, and Mels’s heart at risk, what in heaven – or in hell – will it take to save them both?



22 ) Dark Lover

	Dark Lover

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 23
  • Amazon: 25
  • LibraryThing: 16

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood. The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.



21 ) Lover Unleashed

	Lover Unleashed

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 20
  • Amazon: 25
  • LibraryThing: 13

Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, seductive cloth as her brother. Imprisoned for eons by their mother, the Scribe Virgin, she finally frees herself-only to face a devastating injury. Manuel Manello, M.D., is drafted by the Brotherhood to save her as only he can-but when the human surgeon and the vampire warrior meet, their two worlds collide in the face of their undeniable passion. With so much working against them, can love prove stronger than the birthright and the biology that separates them?



20 ) The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider’s Guide

	The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 14
  • Amazon: 30
  • LibraryThing: 12

New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward delivers a behind-the-scenes look at her ‘to die for’ ( Publishers Weekly) Black Dagger Brotherhood series – and a brand-new short story starring Zsadist and Bella. This is a book no Black Dagger Brotherhood fan should miss – an insider’s guide that will seduce readers as powerfully as the sexy band of Brothers and the world they live in. And also included is an original short story about stars Zsadist and Bella! This comprehensive guide features insider information on the Brotherhood, their dossiers, stats, and special gifts. Readers will savor interviews with their favorite characters, deleted scenes, exciting material from the J.R. Ward message board and the answers to their burning questions. They’ll learn what it’s like for J.R. Ward to write each installment of the series, and in a fascinating twist, read an interview with the author – conducted by the Brothers. Plus readers will get a sneak peek at the much anticipated next book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover Avenged.



19 ) Lover At Last

	Lover At Last

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 16
  • Amazon: 25
  • LibraryThing: 13

In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. The city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. This is the eleventh novel in the stunning No. 1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series – the hotly anticipated story that finally unites Blay and Qhuinn . . . forever.



18 ) Immortal

	Immortal

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 22
  • Amazon: 9
  • LibraryThing: 22

From J.R. Ward, the number one New York Times best-selling author who has kept readers on the edge of their seats with her phenomenal Fallen Angels novels, comes one of the most heart-stirring and eagerly anticipated events in that acclaimed series. This is a world where sin and salvation collide. This is a world where a cynical fallen angel struggles with the seven deadly sins and seven chosen souls. With the spellbinding Immortal, the riveting series that “changed the face of paranormal romance” comes to an epic close as mankind’s reluctant savior struggles with his greatest challenge yet.



17 ) The Thief

	The Thief

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 21
  • Amazon: 9
  • LibraryThing: 19

On the run from a drug lord’s family, she is lying low far from Caldwell, keeping her nose clean and her beloved grandmother safe. Her heart, though, is back up north, with the only man who has ever gotten through her defenses: Assail, son of Assail, who never meant to fall in love – and certainly not with a human woman. But they have no future, and not just because she doesn’t know he is a vampire, but because he is not about to stop dealing arms to the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Fate, however, has other plans for them. When Assail falls into a coma and lingers on the verge of death, his cousins seek out Sola and beg her to give him a reason to live. The last thing she wants is a return to her past, but how can she leave him to die? As a lethal new enemy of the vampires shows its face, and the Brotherhood needs Assail back on his feet, Sola finds herself not only a target, but a mission-critical force in a war she doesn’t understand. And when Assail’s truth comes out, will she run from the horror . . . or follow her heart into the arms of the male who loves her more than life itself?



14 ) The Chosen

	The Chosen

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 14
  • Amazon: 9
  • LibraryThing: 20

Xcor, leader of the Band of Bastards, convicted of treason against the Blind King, is facing a brutal interrogation and torturous death at the hands of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Yet after a life marked by cruelty and evil deeds, he accepts his soldier’s fate, his sole regret the loss of a sacred female who was never his: the Chosen Layla. Layla alone knows the truth that will save Xcor’s life. But revealing his sacrifice and his hidden heritage will expose them both and destroy everything Layla holds dear – even her role of mother to her precious young. Torn between love and loyalty, she must summon the courage to stand up against the only family she has for the only man she will ever love. Yet even if Xcor is somehow granted a reprieve, he and Layla would have to confront a graver challenge: bridging the chasm that divides their worlds without paving the way for a future of even greater war, desolation and death. As a dangerous old enemy returns to Caldwell, and the identity of a new deity is revealed, nothing is certain or safe in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, not even true love . . . or destinies that have long seemed set in stone.



14 ) The Shadows

	The Shadows

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 17
  • Amazon: 9
  • LibraryThing: 17

Two brothers bound by more than blood discover a conspiracy that will change their destiny in the astonishing all-new novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, the “frighteningly addictive” (Publishers Weekly) series by number-one New York Times best-selling author J. R. Ward.



14 ) Lover Revealed

	Lover Revealed

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 17
  • Amazon: 18
  • LibraryThing: 8

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other – six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Now, an ally of the Black Dagger Brotherhood will face the challenge of his life and the evil of the ages. Butch O’Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard living, ex-homicide cop, he’s the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world- to engage in the turf war with the lessers. He’s got nothing to lose. His heart belongs to a female vampire, an aristocratic beauty who’s way out of his league. If he can’t have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers… Fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, found by a miracle, the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him…



13 ) Lover Unbound

	Lover Unbound

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 13
  • Amazon: 18
  • LibraryThing: 9

The ruthless and brilliant brother Vishous possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time-until a destiny he didn’t choose takes him into a future that does not include her…



12 ) Lover Reborn

	Lover Reborn

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 10
  • Amazon: 18
  • LibraryThing: 11

Tohrment is physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair. When he begins to see his beloved in his dreams – trapped in a cold, isolating netherworld – Tohr turns to a self-serving fallen angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. When he’s told he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed . . . Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past, and a very hot, passion-filled future . . . but can his heart let go and set all of them free?



10 ) The Savior

	The Savior

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 2
  • Amazon: 2
  • LibraryThing: 32

A vampire and a scientist’s fates are passionately entwined in a race against time in this thrilling romance in the #1 New York Times bestselling “utterly absorbing and deliciously erotic” (Angela Knight, New York Times bestselling author) Black Dagger Brotherhood series. In the venerable history of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, only one male has ever been expelled – but Murhder’s insanity gave the Brothers no choice. Haunted by visions of a female he could not save, he nonetheless returns to Caldwell on a mission to right the wrong that ruined him. However, he is not prepared for what he must face in his quest for redemption. Dr. Sarah Watkins, researcher at a biomedical firm, is struggling with the loss of her fellow scientist fiance. When the FBI starts asking about his death, she questions what really happened and soon learns the terrible truth: Her firm is conducting inhumane experiments in secret and the man she thought she knew and loved was involved in the torture. As Murhder and Sarah’s destinies become irrevocably entwined, desire ignites between them. But can they forge a future that spans the divide separating the two species? And as a new foe emerges in the war against the vampires, will Murhder return to his Brothers… or resume his lonely existence forevermore?



10 ) Devil’s Cut

	Devil's Cut

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 17
  • Amazon: 2
  • LibraryThing: 17

At first, the death of William Baldwine, the head of the Bradford family, was ruled a suicide. But then his eldest son and sworn enemy, Edward, came forward and confessed to what was, in fact, a murder. Now in police custody, Edward mourns not the disintegration of his family or his loss of freedom . . . but the woman he left behind. His love, Sutton Smythe, is the only person he has ever truly cared about, but as she is the CEO of the Bradford Bourbon Company’s biggest competitor, any relationship between them is impossible. And then there’s the reality of the jail time that Edward is facing. Lane Baldwine was supposed to remain in his role of playboy, forever in his big brother Edward’s shadow.



9 ) Lover Avenged

	Lover Avenged

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 8
  • Amazon: 18
  • LibraryThing: 4

J. R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood novels have introduced readers to a ‘different, creative, dark, violent, and flat-out amazing’ (All About Romance)world. Now, as the vampire warriors defend their race against their slayers, one male’s loyalty to the Brotherhood will be tested – and his dangerous mixed blood revealed. Rehvenge has always kept his distance from the Brotherhood – even though his sister is married to a member, for he harbors a deadly secret that could make him a huge liability in their war against the lessers. As plots within and outside of the Brotherhood threaten to reveal the truth about Rehvenge, he turns to the only source of light in his darkening world, Ehlena, a vampire untouched by the corruption that has its hold on him – and the only thing standing between him and eternal destruction.



8 ) The King

	The King

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 8
  • Amazon: 9
  • LibraryThing: 13

The newest installment in J.R. Ward’s #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Wrath and the Brotherhood are locked in an epic battle over his throne and the very future of the vampire race.



7 ) Lover Mine

	Lover Mine

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 5
  • Amazon: 18
  • LibraryThing: 3

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other – vampire warriors, defenders of their race…John Matthew has been through his vampire transition and taken to the life of the Brotherhood with a vengeance, but he still can’t shake the nightmare of his past and is unsure of his future as a warrior hero. He’s made a promise to honour the Brotherhood and their fight with the slayers at all costs, until the love of his life is kidnapped and he is forced to make a choice that could change his life and the Brotherhood’s forever…



6 ) Lover Eternal

	Lover Eternal

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 10
  • Amazon: 9
  • LibraryThing: 4

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetite. He’s the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Possessed by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him. When Mary Luce is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world, she must rely on Rhage’s protection. Knowing that Mary feels the same intense animal attraction, Rhage must make her his alone…



4 ) Blood Fury

	Blood Fury

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 6
  • Amazon: 9
  • LibraryThing: 6

In this sexy paranormal romance novel set in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, #1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward tells the story of two couples – both fighting to find love in the midst of the war with the Lessening Society. A vampire aristocrat, Peyton is well aware of his duty to his bloodline: mate with an appropriate female of his class and carry on his family’s traditions. And he thought he’d found his perfect match – until she fell in love with someone else. Yet when his split-second decision in a battle with the enemy endangers the life of another trainee, Peyton has to face the idea that his future, and his heart, actually lie with another. Novo, as a female in the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s training program, feels like she has to prove herself to everybody – and she has no interest in being distracted by falling in love. But when Peyton proves to be so much more than a rich playboy, she is forced to confront the tragedy that has broken her soul and closed her off from love. As the two grapple with Novo’s past and Peyton’s present, another couple must contend with an erotic connection that is unparalleled – and potentially scandalous. Saxton, who has had his heart broken, discovers in himself a deep-seated attraction to Ruhn, a new member of the household. But will the other male explore the connection? Or will he close his mind and his heart to what could be true love . . . and cost Saxton everything?



4 ) Blood Kiss

	Blood Kiss

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 10
  • Amazon: 9
  • LibraryThing: 2

Paradise, blooded daughter of the king’s First Advisor, is ready to break free from the restrictive life of an aristocratic female. Her strategy? Join the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s training center program and learn to fight for herself, think for herself…be herself. It’s a good plan, until everything goes wrong. The schooling is unfathomably difficult, the other recruits feel more like enemies than allies, and it’s very clear that the Brother in charge, Butch O’Neal, a.k.a. the Dhestroyer, is having serious problems in his own life. And that’s before she falls in love with a fellow classmate. Craeg, a common civilian, is nothing her father would ever want for her, but everything she could ask for in a male. As an act of violence threatens to tear apart the entire program, and the erotic pull between them grows irresistible, Paradise is tested in ways she never anticipated–and left wondering whether she’s strong enough to claim her own power…on the field, and off.



3 ) Blood Vow

	Blood Vow

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 6
  • Amazon: 2
  • LibraryThing: 10

When an aristocratic female needs a bodyguard, Axe takes the job, though he’s unprepared for the animal attraction that flares between him and the one he is sworn to protect. For Elise, who lost her first cousin to a grisly murder, Axe’s dangerous appeal is enticing – and possibly a distraction from her grief. But as they delve deeper into her cousin’s death, and their physical connection grows into so much more, Axe fears that the secrets he keeps and his tortured conscience will tear them apart. Rhage, the Brother with the biggest heart, knows all about self-punishing, and he wants to help Axe reach his full potential.



2 ) Lover Awakened

	Lover Awakened

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 4
  • Amazon: 9
  • LibraryThing: 1

Even within the vampire brotherhood, Zsadist is feared. Still bearing the scars from a tortured past, he is renowned for his unquenchable fury. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion-until he rescues a beautiful female from the evil Lessening Society.



1 ) The Beast

	The Beast

Review Website Ranks:

  • Goodreads: 3
  • Amazon: 2
  • LibraryThing: 6

Nothing is as it used to be for the Black Dagger Brotherhood. After avoiding war with the Shadows, alliances have shifted and lines have been drawn. The slayers of the Lessening Society are stronger than ever, preying on human weakness to acquire more money, more weapons, more power. But as the Brotherhood readies for an all-out attack on them, one of their own fights a battle within himself . . . For Rhage, the Brother with the biggest appetites, but also the biggest heart, life was supposed to be perfect – or at the very least, perfectly enjoyable. Mary, his beloved shellan, is by his side and his King and his brothers are thriving. But Rhage can’t understand – or control – the panic and insecurity that plague him . . . And that terrifies him – as well as distances him from his mate. After suffering mortal injury in battle, Rhage must reassess his priorities – and the answer, when it comes to him, rocks his world . . . and Mary’s. But Mary is on a journey of her own, one that will either bring them closer together or cause a split that neither will recover from . . .



J.R. Ward’s Best Books



J.R. Ward Review Website Bibliography Rankings

BookGoodreadsAmazonLibraryThingOveral Rank
The Beast 3 2 6 1
Lover Awakened 4 9 1 2
Blood Vow 6 2 10 3
Blood Fury 6 9 6 4
Blood Kiss 10 9 2 4
Lover Eternal 10 9 4 6
Lover Mine 5 18 3 7
The King 8 9 13 8
Lover Avenged 8 18 4 9
The Savior 2 2 32 10
Devil’s Cut 17 2 17 10
Lover Reborn 10 18 11 12
Lover Unbound 13 18 9 13
The Chosen 14 9 20 14
The Shadows 17 9 17 14
Lover Revealed 17 18 8 14
The Thief 21 9 19 17
Immortal 22 9 22 18
Lover At Last 16 25 13 19
The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider’s Guide 14 30 12 20
Lover Unleashed 20 25 13 21
Dark Lover 23 25 16 22
Rapture 26 18 24 23
Envy 23 25 21 24
Blood Truth 35 2 32 24
Blood Lust 6 36 1 32 24
Father Mine 36 2 32 27
Dearest Ivie 36 2 32 27
Blood Sample 7 1 38 32 29
The Angels’ Share 27 18 26 29
Possession 23 25 29 31
Lover Enshrined 28 34 23 32
Crave 30 30 28 33
Prisoner of Night 31 34 25 34
Dead After Dark 29 37 26 35
The Bourbon Kings 34 30 31 36
Covet 33 34 30 37
The Story of Son 36 30 32 38
Consumed 32 38 32 39