So I picked up the anthology Dead After Dark with stories by Sherrilyn Kenyon, J.R. Ward Susan Squires and Dianna Love. I immediately jumped in and read the Ward novella. I wanted to share some thoughts and see what others had to say – if you’d read the story.
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…
Claire goes to Caldwell, NY to have a client sign a will. While in Caldwell Claire ends up locked in a basement with a vampire, Michael, where she will stay the entire Labor Day weekend so that he can feed.
Ok – I’m not gonna give away the basics of the story. I want to talk more about the whole vampire thing. I don’t get on Ward’s forum any longer just because it’s so friggin overwhelming so maybe some of this has been discussed there – if any of you know, let me know.
So since this story takes place in Caldwell I assume that Michael the vampire is a civilian in the BDB world. No part of the BDB world is mentioned but given the city I assumed that to begin with. However, there are parts of his vampire life that just didn’t fit with what we know about Wards vamps so I began to doubt myself.
Examples:
Women were brought to Michael once a year for a weekend so he could feed. Once a year? And from a human? Wards vamps can feed from humans, but they suffer for it. This guy didn’t seem to be suffering.
Michael had been confined since his 12th birthday when his “evil” or “vampiric” tendencies began. Even as a 1/2 vamp Wards vamps don’t transition until around 25 years of age and even then they would need to feed from a vamp to make it through.
Fang like teeth growing at age 6.
Then there are mentions of things that would make me believe that this was supposed to be a civilian in Ward’s BDB world:
Bonding Scent
Dematerializing
A Butler that seems awfully like a Doggen but more or less evil. But then that brings me back to if he’s a Doggen wouldn’t he know that the vamp needs to feed from another vamp?
So I liked the story. It was a nice little romance and I enjoyed reading it – Ward does romance well, that’s for sure. But the questions that it brought to mind threw me for a loop and my little pea brain just doesn’t get it.
So, help me. What are your thoughts. Have you read the book?
You know, Dead After Dark is kind of an odd title. I haven’t read it yet but I plan to soon. A friend is mailing her copy to me. So I didn’t read through all of your references to the story, but I will after I read it and see what I think.
Perhaps he is an BDB alien? Like Mork? The lawyer is his Monday!
*nanu nanu*
Was there at least some hot sex going on in the basement?
Amy – Just fyi I gave very little info out in my references so I wouldn’t spoil the story for anyone. 🙂 But definitely let me know your thoughts after you read the story.
KB – omg you make me laugh so hard. A BDB alien like Mork? lmao!!!
Yes, there was a lot of hot sex going on in the basement. I mean, come one – this is Ward! 🙂
have to say I freakin loved it. A real return to form for me for Ward but yeah, there were descrepancies.
I assumed because of Caldwell that it was BDB but I don’t think it was because of the discrepancies you disscussed. I just shrugged and assumed it wasn’t BDB related.
It was freakin hot tho, proof she can write virgin heroes good. Zsadist wasn’t just a fluke!
I bags Michael!
As you may know JR Ward also writes as Jessica Bird, and in one of those books (Billionaire something or other) she also refers to Caldwell, NY AND she mentions Butch but no vampires. So my guess is Caldwell is simply a fictional town she will write about, and the Brotherhood saga will remain unique to that series only. (I am simply guessing, as I don’t read her boards either.)
hrm, I have no idea but thanks for the heads up about the book. I like Ward’s short stories. *g*
Well, isn’t Dead After Dark a Sookie book? Also, I think you raise some excellent questions regarding feeding on humans! I think Nicola at Alpha heroes just read this.
LOL! I get what you mean, Tracy. I spent most of the story scratching my head, before I just said nuts to it and enjoyed the story.
I wish she hadn’t set it in Caldwell and had done it in LA or something to keep me from expecting BDB and getting something totally different.
Though I have to say that it was without a doubt one of her sexier moments. 😀
The end of the story kind of bugged me though. Maybe that’s just me though.
Sayuri – yes Michael was completely yummy – loved him. I might try to read it over again since I kind of read it in stops and starts and that’s never good with a novella.
Karen – yeah, I read that book by Bird and yes I know Caldwell’s fictional. I guess when I think Ward/Vamps/Caldwell it’s just an automatic assumption for me. Shame on me! lol
Sula – it was good and definitely worth the read.
CJ – I haven’t read the Sookie books yet so I’m not sure about the name. Sometimes I wonder how they come up with these?
BL – I competely agree on all points. I did the same thing too after a while – just forgot all the other and enjoyed. 🙂
Hello. I am a huge fan of J.R. Ward, and there is quite a bit of speculation going around about Michael and his similarities to the Brothers. Ms. Ward did recently post on the BDB boards that we “might” see Michael again in the BDB framework. But that’s all we have for now. I’m sure if we asked her, we’d get a big “Keep reading…”
Oh thank you for the info tpg. Yes, I’m sure we would have gottent he big keep reading thing. I’ll be interested to see as I really liked Michael.
Hi Tracy!
I promise to behave. I think this might have been written before the birth of the BDB. Michael had so many characteristics of so many of the brothers.
I think with that in mind and the huge world of the BDB, setting this story there and changing the minds of millions of readers about age, feeding etc. was a little off putting.
I agree with you, that when she writes romance she writes it well. I think Bridget mentioned the ending was bit irksome. I agree, but that’s why I am not a big fan of short stories.
We have to remember that half-breed humans/vamps have different characteristics (e.g., Butch is fractional and can’t dematerialize, and before he became a vamp he could stand the sun). So it makes sense that if Michael’s dad was a vamp and his mom wasn’t that he’d have some skewed tendancies (e.g., he started displaying vamp characteristics at human puberty rather than vamp puberty).
That’s my take. I liked the ending. You don’t get endings that tidy with most novels. I love JR’s tone and the believability she gives the lovers in her stories.
xxaire – I guess I hadn’t thought of it in the half human/half vamp view before. Thanks for your insight.