The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider’s Guide
Author – J.R. Ward
Rating – A- Nearly Perfect; A Keeper/5 – Scorching
Reading Level – Adult
Pages – 478
Publisher – New American Library
Release Date – October 2008
Source – Barnes and Noble

First Sentence:
“So, Bella looks good.”

Synopsis:
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. (via bn.com)

Super Brief Review:
A must read for any BDB fan

Slightly Longer Review:
If you consider yourself a true fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, you should at least read the novella that comes inside The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider’s Guide. It’s entitled “Father Mine” and is the story of Zsadist and Bella shortly after the birth of Nalla. Zsadist was my favorite brother and still is. This book just gave him a lot more page space. It reminds us of what a sweetheart he really is; he just has a hard time showing it. Zsadist doesn’t feel that he’s worth Bella and Nalla and can’t see how he can be a true father for Nalla. The short story is wonderful. We watch as Zsadist and Bella have to find each other again after Nalla comes along They have to learn their new roles and what that means for their relationship. If you don’t want to purchase the whole book, the novella “Father Mine” can be bought by itself in eBook format for around $3.99 at most sites.

The Dossiers are a great insight into the Brothers’ lives. I enjoyed them immensely. I also learned some things along the way. It’s a section that gives you all the details about the brothers and their backgrounds. When they joined the brotherhood, physical descriptions and interviews between J.R. Ward and the brothers. The interviews were pretty great!

J.R. Ward included a section on writing advice. If I were tempted to ever write, she gives some very sound advice. There is a section with deleted scenes. They were interesting to read but you could tell why they hadn’t been included. Ward also includes a section where she lists some of her favorite one-liners from each book. You all know I’m a sucker for the one-liners. Ward also includes information from the boards. Each of these were fun but there were a few that were pretty serious. Lassiter certainly stirs up a lot of trouble.

If you are a big fan of the BDB, this book is full of good background information and it may do you good to read it. It certainly made me very excited to read Lover Unleashed! If you’re a fan but maybe not as hardcore, you’d be better served to buy the eBook version of “Father Mine.”