All's Fair in Love and Blood
Jennifer Peel
5.0
The King: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
by J.R. Ward
About this book
Wrath, the last pure-blooded vampire and the reluctant ruler of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, has spent centuries avoiding his birthright. Now, as the weight of the crown presses down upon him, the war against the Lessening Society reaches a fever pitch. With enemies closing in and the throne under siege, Wrath must navigate the brutal politics of his station while struggling to protect the people he loves.
The stakes are equally high within the walls of his home. Beth Randall, his human-turned-vampire mate, is ready to expand their family, but Wrath’s haunted past makes him fear the very idea of inheritance. As the distance between the couple grows, they are forced to confront whether their love is strong enough to overcome the shadows of a tortured legacy.
Blending high-stakes urban fantasy with the intense passion of paranormal romance, this installment is a triumphant return to the couple that started it all. Featuring the beloved found-family dynamic that defines the series, this story is a poignant exploration of duty and devotion. For fans craving a gritty, emotional journey where the crown is a burden and love is the only sanctuary, this is an essential read.
- Publication Date
- May 25, 2026
- ASIN
- B00HX1BXR8
Reader Reviews
April 1, 2014
I have had my kindle for two years now, have over twelve hundred books on it, and have read over a thousand of them. I have never before written a review, and I would not have bothered to write this one had not the idiocy of the other reviews (8 posted at the time of this writing) sent me over the edge. I'm selfish, I guess, because I do rely on reviews when choosing a book to purchase, and don't offer my own in return. However, the quality of the review itself is far more important to me than...
April 18, 2014
The King. Pretty self explanatory. I was super excited to start this book. We get to go back! Wrath hasn't had his own book since the very first one. We see bits and pieces, of course, of him and Beth but a whole book? Yay! My poor beautiful blind king. He has had some hard times. He never did want to be king. That's what his father was good at. Him? He was always good at being a brother and kicking ass. But now that there is dissent and his place as King is being threatened? He has the chance...
August 5, 2016
FINAL DECISION: I loved this book. Returning to the beginning, Ward revisits the story of Wrath, king of the vampires, and his shellan/wife Beth. I loved these characters when I read DARK LOVER and I loved that their story continues to evolve. I especially loved that the guts of this story began and ended in this book. THE STORY: After being together for two years, Beth desperately wants a child with her husband Wrath. Wrath, however, intends never to have children not wanting to sentence them...
April 7, 2014
Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About JR Ward’s twelfth endeavor in her extremely popular Black Dagger Brotherhood, The King, is the ambitious tale covering the lives of several key characters: most notably Vampire King Wrath and his lovely Queen, Beth. The pair was the focus of the first book, Dark Lover, and they have played central rolls in a number of the subsequent stories. However, this time around we get up close with Wrath and Beth as they deal with...
April 9, 2014
I've got to be honest. I was losing faith in The Warden. The last few books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series just didn't seem to have the same spark as those that came earlier. It seems as if ever since the new baddies on the block, the Band of Bastards (or, BOB), hit the scene, the story lines seemed to multiply and fragment, which detracted from the main Brother we were supposed to be focusing on. After reading The King, though, it truly felt like the magic was back. After trying,...
