TITLE: ⟫ The Shadows
AUTHOR: ⟫ J.R. Ward

SERIES: ⟫ Black Dagger Brotherhood #13
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Trez “Latimer” doesn’t really exist. And not just because the identity was created so that a Shadow could function in the underbelly of the human world. Sold by his parents to the Queen of the S’Hsibe as a child, Trez escaped the Territory and has been a pimp and an enforcer in Caldwell, NY for years- all the while on the run from a destiny of sexual servitude. He’s never had anyone he could totally rely on… except for his brother, iAm.

iAm’s sole goal has always been to keep his brother from self-destructing- and he knows he’s failed. It’s not until the Chosen Serena enters Trez’s life that the male begins to turn things around… but by then it’s too late. The pledge to mate the Queen’s daughter comes due and there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no negotiating.

Trapped between his heart and a fate he never volunteered for, Trez must decide whether to endanger himself and others- or forever leave behind the female he’s in love with. But then an unimaginable tragedy strikes and changes everything. Staring out over an emotional abyss, Trez must find a reason to go on or risk losing himself and his soul forever. And iAm, in the name of brotherly love, is faced with making the ultimate sacrifice…

REVIEW: ⟫ I didn’t expect to care so much about this story – Trez and iAm are both fascinating characters, but they weren’t fully on my radar until reading this. The culmination of years of running away and hiding, the story of Trez and iAm is so entwined that the way things played out should not have been a shock.

The background plot-points – war, the Bastards, Throe and the changes within the whole society – were also gripping and there were times when I gave a hefty sigh of frustration when the next chapter didn’t continue from where the previous chapter ended, but I should have trusted that J.R. Ward knew what they were doing. I cried so much during this story – like, sobbing into a tissue as I dashed the tears away so I could continue reading. Some of this story was so painful to read – my reactions to what Trez and Selena went through were visceral.

Layla continues to drive me insane – like, seriously, so many opportunities to at least try to unravel things, but I could also well understand just why she was holding back. I loved seeing more of the various doggen; Fritz continues to be the MVP; and the three menaces of V, Butch and Rhage were in this enough to keep me happy. I loved the further world building, learning about other societies and how they existed alongside the vampires. The ending was relatively satisfying – although I hesitate to call it a HEA – and it leads directly to “The Beast” which is Rhage and Mary who are one of my favourite couples. I’m glad I read this and will consider looking into the off-shoots that have sprung up but I still have about seven Black Dagger Brotherhood books to read first!