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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
I probably could have skipped this. The short story was good, and the message board interactions were funny, but I guess I just don't care about the author's challenges while writing the books. Reading the info about the first one was OK, but then it got old. There were a couple of excerpts that were dropped from the actual books that were interesting. It took me longer to get through than it should have, but then again, it's not a story. I wasn't waiting with bated breath for what was to come.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
Overall score 3/5
This was pretty hefty, longer than I expected. The content isn't exactly what I was expecting either. There were a lot of behind the scenes with the author type sections. I thought it would be mostly unmentioned facts about the Brothers, and small side stories. There were some things like that, but not nearly as much as I expected. It was heavily about the author herself, and that's not what I think of when I hear, "Insider's Guide," to a series. Most, if not all, of the, "Interview," sections are inserting herself into their world to speak with them, or the Brothers appearing in reality to speak with her. I like it as a style choice, but some of them can't even really be called interviews, since no interview actually happens. Anyway, due to the size, and how many sections this book has, I'm going to go through and review them individually and comment on each.
Father Mine - 4/5
Father mine is the novella at the beginning of the book. It's a continuation of Zsadist's story, and also connects to the epilogue of that same book. I think the epilogues actually overlap. Quick synopsis, Zsadist has slipped back into his old habits(starving and nightmares) after his daughter(Nalla) is born, which causes problems between him and Bella, and makes fatherhood a difficult concept for Z. I liked this story a lot. It felt the same as the full length novels, minus the perspectives of the Lessers. There were no villain perspectives in this novella. My only issue with the story is a detail that seems off. Lessers are always described as smelling like baby powder, but this novella has a line where it says, "cotton candy sweet." I don't know about everyone else, but I think baby powder and cotton candy are vastly different in odor and sweetness.
Brotherhood Dossiers - 3/5
This section had small bios with things such as height and weight, a questionnaire each Brother filled out, an interview section, and finished with how each book for each character was written. The physical descriptions of the characters were taken straight out of quotes from the novels. The questionnaires seemed like they were missing some of the more common questions, but since they were sort of filled out by the Brothers themselves, they were a little amusing. The interviews were a bit odd at first. J.R. Ward herself was the interviewer, and they were written in a way that inserted herself into their world, so it was like telling a story, instead of the generic interview format I'm used to seeing. The interview with Wrath was a little cringe at first. It was heavily implied she was crushing on her own character. I get that, but I think it's strange to voice it or let the reader know that kind of thing. I definitely was not expecting a break down of how each book was written for each individual character, but they were kind of interesting to read, and I could relate to some of it.
For Writers -3/5
This is another section I was not expecting. It's helpful information for writers with an interest in getting published.
Black Dagger Brotherhood Proposal -3/5
Another section I was not expecting. This section is the unedited proposal for Dark Lover, kind of a, "what I did, but don't do it like this," type thing. I found it interesting mostly to see the changes that were made. It felt a little like reading a parody.
Deleted Scenes -3/5
I thought more of the book would be this kind of thing, or pieces of story, like stuff that happened in the middle, that weren't in the book.
Kicks and Giggles -3/5
This section is full of passages from books 1-6 that made J.R. Ward laugh. I think it's essentially pointless for an Insider's Guide, but the quotes were kind of a nice refresher after my long break without touching the series.
Brothers on the Board -4/5
This is more the kind of thing I expected to see a lot of in this book. I'm under the impression these consolidated message board stories are cannon. It's been a good while since I read the last book, but I think I vaguely recall Lassiter saying something about repaying a debt. If that's the case, then yeah, these fit with the cannon. If there were a book that was just a compendium of all these stories, I would read it. The Insider's Guide says something about them still being available to read at a specific link provided, but when I tried to go there, it looked like a spam site. I wouldn't have read them there with all the, "Cellie," comments anyway, but I was curious. I'm kind of disappointed there doesn't seem to be an easy way to go back and read this stuff. If they are cannon, they should be easily available no matter how long the series has been out.
Slices of Life from the Board -3/5
These are some more middle stories and self insert stories. I like the middle stories, but the self insert stuff is kind of meh. These are also from the message boards, so not likely to be able to find more of them anywhere.
Q&A with J.R -3/5
Some interesting information here.
Timeline of the Brotherhood - 2/5
Handy, but not necessary. Looks like Phury and Cormia's mating is missing.
Table of Abbreviations - 2/5
Context usually makes most of these easy to figure out, but might be good to know for later.
Old Language - 4/5
I love seeing stuff like this, but I'm not sure why there are extra symbols on the alphabet paper.
Brothers Interview J.R - 2/5
Meh, nothing noteworthy here for me.
In Memoriam -4/5
I'm pretty sure, having spent a good few days reading this book, that this is the only interview with Tohr. It wasn't even an interview, really. It's another of those self insert interview things, but I love this family, so it gets a higher score.
Excerpt from Lover Avenged -no score
Skipped this, I never read previews. They make me want to read the next book right away. I already own this book, and I cycle through different series at a time, so I don't need the extra push to encourage me to read this one right this second.
This was pretty hefty, longer than I expected. The content isn't exactly what I was expecting either. There were a lot of behind the scenes with the author type sections. I thought it would be mostly unmentioned facts about the Brothers, and small side stories. There were some things like that, but not nearly as much as I expected. It was heavily about the author herself, and that's not what I think of when I hear, "Insider's Guide," to a series. Most, if not all, of the, "Interview," sections are inserting herself into their world to speak with them, or the Brothers appearing in reality to speak with her. I like it as a style choice, but some of them can't even really be called interviews, since no interview actually happens. Anyway, due to the size, and how many sections this book has, I'm going to go through and review them individually and comment on each.
Father Mine - 4/5
Father mine is the novella at the beginning of the book. It's a continuation of Zsadist's story, and also connects to the epilogue of that same book. I think the epilogues actually overlap. Quick synopsis, Zsadist has slipped back into his old habits(starving and nightmares) after his daughter(Nalla) is born, which causes problems between him and Bella, and makes fatherhood a difficult concept for Z. I liked this story a lot. It felt the same as the full length novels, minus the perspectives of the Lessers. There were no villain perspectives in this novella. My only issue with the story is a detail that seems off. Lessers are always described as smelling like baby powder, but this novella has a line where it says, "cotton candy sweet." I don't know about everyone else, but I think baby powder and cotton candy are vastly different in odor and sweetness.
Brotherhood Dossiers - 3/5
This section had small bios with things such as height and weight, a questionnaire each Brother filled out, an interview section, and finished with how each book for each character was written. The physical descriptions of the characters were taken straight out of quotes from the novels. The questionnaires seemed like they were missing some of the more common questions, but since they were sort of filled out by the Brothers themselves, they were a little amusing. The interviews were a bit odd at first. J.R. Ward herself was the interviewer, and they were written in a way that inserted herself into their world, so it was like telling a story, instead of the generic interview format I'm used to seeing. The interview with Wrath was a little cringe at first. It was heavily implied she was crushing on her own character. I get that, but I think it's strange to voice it or let the reader know that kind of thing. I definitely was not expecting a break down of how each book was written for each individual character, but they were kind of interesting to read, and I could relate to some of it.
For Writers -3/5
This is another section I was not expecting. It's helpful information for writers with an interest in getting published.
Black Dagger Brotherhood Proposal -3/5
Another section I was not expecting. This section is the unedited proposal for Dark Lover, kind of a, "what I did, but don't do it like this," type thing. I found it interesting mostly to see the changes that were made. It felt a little like reading a parody.
Deleted Scenes -3/5
I thought more of the book would be this kind of thing, or pieces of story, like stuff that happened in the middle, that weren't in the book.
Kicks and Giggles -3/5
This section is full of passages from books 1-6 that made J.R. Ward laugh. I think it's essentially pointless for an Insider's Guide, but the quotes were kind of a nice refresher after my long break without touching the series.
Brothers on the Board -4/5
This is more the kind of thing I expected to see a lot of in this book. I'm under the impression these consolidated message board stories are cannon. It's been a good while since I read the last book, but I think I vaguely recall Lassiter saying something about repaying a debt. If that's the case, then yeah, these fit with the cannon. If there were a book that was just a compendium of all these stories, I would read it. The Insider's Guide says something about them still being available to read at a specific link provided, but when I tried to go there, it looked like a spam site. I wouldn't have read them there with all the, "Cellie," comments anyway, but I was curious. I'm kind of disappointed there doesn't seem to be an easy way to go back and read this stuff. If they are cannon, they should be easily available no matter how long the series has been out.
Slices of Life from the Board -3/5
These are some more middle stories and self insert stories. I like the middle stories, but the self insert stuff is kind of meh. These are also from the message boards, so not likely to be able to find more of them anywhere.
Q&A with J.R -3/5
Some interesting information here.
Timeline of the Brotherhood - 2/5
Handy, but not necessary. Looks like Phury and Cormia's mating is missing.
Table of Abbreviations - 2/5
Context usually makes most of these easy to figure out, but might be good to know for later.
Old Language - 4/5
I love seeing stuff like this, but I'm not sure why there are extra symbols on the alphabet paper.
Brothers Interview J.R - 2/5
Meh, nothing noteworthy here for me.
In Memoriam -4/5
I'm pretty sure, having spent a good few days reading this book, that this is the only interview with Tohr. It wasn't even an interview, really. It's another of those self insert interview things, but I love this family, so it gets a higher score.
Excerpt from Lover Avenged -no score
Skipped this, I never read previews. They make me want to read the next book right away. I already own this book, and I cycle through different series at a time, so I don't need the extra push to encourage me to read this one right this second.
I love when you can really see how much an author loves what they do. You can tell these characters and the stories she creates are more than just a way to make money. Makes me enjoy reading and learning about the characters that live in her head. Another fantastic read. This book will make you cry (or at least get teary eyed), laugh out loud and feel for each character.
I love BDB so this book was very entertaining. The short story on Z and Bella was very touching and gave great insight into their relationship and what they're going through as new parents. I also liked the Kicks and Giggles section with funny quotes from the books!
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Ahh this was an AMAZING addition to the series, and really is a must-have for all Black Dagger Brotherhood fans. Getting Ward's perspective on things really changed my opinions of some of the books I wasn't so much a fan of, and some of the characters (like Mary) who I really despised.
The excerpts of the Brothers winding each other up on the boards were HILARIOUS, and I love Rhage so so so much :D I was honestly cackling to myself while reading the exchanges between the Brothers when they were teasing each other about the sappy things they did for Valentines Day, and Rhage paying Vishous out about 'Knitters Anonymous' was pretty much the funniest thing ever. I wish there had been more of Rhage's humour in Lover Eternal, and less lovesick puppy-ness. :D
I fucking love all the information we got about Lassiter, because he's been really playing on my mind and I cant wait to hear more about him. I loved the deleted scene between Phury and Cormia, and personally liked it better than that aggressive almost-rape between them in Lover Enshrined. During that book I didn't like their lack of chemistry and just wanted them to get it on already, and I wish that scene had been in the book :(
The short story, Father Mine, about Z coming to terms with fatherhood upset me so much, but it was so amazing and beautiful to read. I was honestly bawling my eyes out and sobbing like a bitch, and I can't believe I've gotten so attached to these characters and pulled so far into the Black Dagger Brotherhood 'verse :D although I guess that's a testament to Ward's writing skills.
I loved the little vignette about Wrath dealing with his ascension as King, and all the work he's forced into doing, and his itching to get out onto the field. I never really thought about him being dissident about his new job, despite how often it's mentioned that he always looks like he has a headache these days. I think we definitely need to hear more from Beth in the future, I miss hearing from her character.
*cries* ugh that non-interview with Tohrment before Wellsie's death and the whole scenario with him at Phury and Cormia's mating ceremony upset me too :( As much as I want him to snap out of it and move on, I know he won't, and I kind of want to explore his struggles in future books.
Another thing I loved about this inside guide to the Brotherhood is the explanation about how the Scribe Virgin created John Matthew and placed him in the bathroom stall in the 80s, after Darius' death. Even though there was mention of how the Omega transcended time and birthed Lash to counter the Dhestroyer prophecy, I was still confused about John Matthew was born, because Darius was still alive at that time. I'm still very confused, but now i know about the Scribe Virgin's intervention :D
I fucking LOVED this book, and I can't wait for Lover Avenged.
The excerpts of the Brothers winding each other up on the boards were HILARIOUS, and I love Rhage so so so much :D I was honestly cackling to myself while reading the exchanges between the Brothers when they were teasing each other about the sappy things they did for Valentines Day, and Rhage paying Vishous out about 'Knitters Anonymous' was pretty much the funniest thing ever. I wish there had been more of Rhage's humour in Lover Eternal, and less lovesick puppy-ness. :D
I fucking love all the information we got about Lassiter, because he's been really playing on my mind and I cant wait to hear more about him. I loved the deleted scene between Phury and Cormia, and personally liked it better than that aggressive almost-rape between them in Lover Enshrined. During that book I didn't like their lack of chemistry and just wanted them to get it on already, and I wish that scene had been in the book :(
The short story, Father Mine, about Z coming to terms with fatherhood upset me so much, but it was so amazing and beautiful to read. I was honestly bawling my eyes out and sobbing like a bitch, and I can't believe I've gotten so attached to these characters and pulled so far into the Black Dagger Brotherhood 'verse :D although I guess that's a testament to Ward's writing skills.
I loved the little vignette about Wrath dealing with his ascension as King, and all the work he's forced into doing, and his itching to get out onto the field. I never really thought about him being dissident about his new job, despite how often it's mentioned that he always looks like he has a headache these days. I think we definitely need to hear more from Beth in the future, I miss hearing from her character.
*cries* ugh that non-interview with Tohrment before Wellsie's death and the whole scenario with him at Phury and Cormia's mating ceremony upset me too :( As much as I want him to snap out of it and move on, I know he won't, and I kind of want to explore his struggles in future books.
Another thing I loved about this inside guide to the Brotherhood is the explanation about how the Scribe Virgin created John Matthew and placed him in the bathroom stall in the 80s, after Darius' death. Even though there was mention of how the Omega transcended time and birthed Lash to counter the Dhestroyer prophecy, I was still confused about John Matthew was born, because Darius was still alive at that time. I'm still very confused, but now i know about the Scribe Virgin's intervention :D
I fucking LOVED this book, and I can't wait for Lover Avenged.
I found the Insider's Guide to be full of LOTS of information, information that answered a lot of questions I had about the Brothers and Ward gave it very well.
The novella about Zsadist and Bella really tore at my heart, it actually made me sob at the end and I was glad to be able to read more about Zsadist and Bella after Nalla was born since they are my favourite couple.
I also really enjoyed some of the deleted scenes that Ward was kind enough to share with us. It sort of makes you wonder how it would've all turned out if those scenes hadn't been deleted.
You get a lot more info on the brothers and other characters in the universe and what it's like in the the BDB world. J.R Ward also writes up how she would interview the brothers and I like how she kept to their characters when they answered her. It's just how I would expect each of the brothers to act like if they were interviewed at all.
Very informative and entertaining.
The novella about Zsadist and Bella really tore at my heart, it actually made me sob at the end and I was glad to be able to read more about Zsadist and Bella after Nalla was born since they are my favourite couple.
I also really enjoyed some of the deleted scenes that Ward was kind enough to share with us. It sort of makes you wonder how it would've all turned out if those scenes hadn't been deleted.
You get a lot more info on the brothers and other characters in the universe and what it's like in the the BDB world. J.R Ward also writes up how she would interview the brothers and I like how she kept to their characters when they answered her. It's just how I would expect each of the brothers to act like if they were interviewed at all.
Very informative and entertaining.