Before You Start Black Dagger Brotherhood in 2026… Read This First

ByUnder the Covers Updated
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Our devotion to the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward is a long standing and beautiful thing. We have obsessed, cried and laughed over this series and we wanted to share that with you. What better way than a series guide?

black dagger brotherhood reading order

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If there is one thing we can all agree on here at Under the Covers, it’s our love the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It’s the paranormal romance genre at its finest, with romances that are both passionate, beautiful and occasionally heart breaking. But, it’s not just the romance…you’ve then got the increasingly more complex and compelling story lines, the friendships between the characters and the emotion. Damn, those emotions! Ward’s writing is poetic and evocative and can leave you laughing, crying and sometimes both. So read at your own peril, because once you start it’s hard to stop and you’ll find from that day forward all PNR will be measured against the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

In this series guide we will keep you updated on the increasingly complex reading order, there are quite a few interconnected series now! We’ve tried to keep this guide as spoiler free as possible, but, with such a long standing series there are bound to be some spoilers scattered about, especially if you’re completely new to the series.

Where do you start reading J.R. Ward? Read our J.R. Ward author guide.

Black Dagger Brotherhood Series Synopsis

There’s a war going on in the dark alleys of Caldwell, New York, it spans centuries but seems to now be coming to a head. Vampires have been fight the lessers, the henchman and creations of The Omega for a long time and the Black Dagger Brotherhood is a warrior caste, almost a breed apart from normal vampires who have been at the spearhead of the war with the King of the Vampires as their leader. Only now they are scattered and their numbers a few. Until a death changes everything and brings the Brothers back together to reunite in the war against the lessers and bring a stagnant vampire society back to its former glory.

Black Dagger Brotherhood Species Overview

Vampires: In the series, vampires are a separate species from humans, living among us but distinct in many ways. They require blood to survive, but only from the opposite sex of their species or their chosen mates. Vampires are also longer-lived, physically superior, and have a complex societal structure. They can be killed in much the same ways humans can, though they have a few additional weaknesses specific to their species.

Lessers: The primary antagonists of the series, lessers are soulless humans who have been recruited by the Omega (the series’ main villain) to hunt and kill vampires. They are recognizable by their pale skin, lack of scent, and white hair. Lessers do not age or die of natural causes but can be killed by a vampire’s weapon. Upon death, their bodies disappear, leaving only a scent of baby powder as evidence of their demise.

Glymera: The vampire aristocracy or high society, emphasizing purity of bloodlines and adhering to strict societal rules. The Glymera holds significant power and influence within the vampire world, often interacting with and governing the politics and economics of their society.

Symphaths: A subspecies of vampires with psychic abilities that allow them to manipulate emotions in others for malicious purposes. Considered dangerous and are mostly exiled to a remote colony.

Chosen: Female vampires who serve the Scribe Virgin. They are considered sacred and perform various rituals. A Chosen can become the mate of a Brother or a male of worth, bearing children.

Shadows: Also known as the s’Hisbe, Shadows are a secretive and mysterious race that lives parallel to the vampire society. They have unique abilities and customs, and their existence is not widely known among vampires.

Related:
I sat down with Jen from BooksJenRecs after we re-read Dark Lover, and here’s what we had to say, almost a decade after reading it for the first time.

Black Dagger Brotherhood Mansion

This is a layout provided by the publisher of what the Brotherhood Mansion looks like.

Black Dagger Brotherhood Mansion Map
Click here to view a larger (printable) copy

Black Dagger Brotherhood Glossary

Hellren: A term used to refer to a male vampire’s spouse or mate. Hellren is a position of honor and deep emotional connection, signifying a lifelong bond.

Shellan: The female counterpart to Hellren, indicating a female vampire’s spouse or mate. Like Hellren, it denotes a sacred and eternal bond between mates.

Black Dagger Brotherhood: An elite group of warrior vampires sworn to protect their race against the Lessening Society. Each member of the Brotherhood has a unique background but shares the common goal of defending their species from extinction. The Brotherhood operates under a code of honor and brotherhood, with deep bonds forming between its members.

Scribe Virgin: Considered the vampire deity, the Scribe Virgin is a mystical figure who plays a role in the creation and governance of vampire laws and rituals. She is revered and respected within the vampire community.

The Omega: The malevolent force and primary antagonist in the series, the Omega is the counterpart to the Scribe Virgin. He creates the lessers and seeks the destruction of the vampire race.

Ahstrux Nohtrum: The personal guard or protector of a member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, sworn to protect them with their life.

Blood Slave: A derogatory term for a vampire who is forced to provide blood against their will, often in a degrading or abusive context.

Doggen: The servant class within the vampire society, responsible for maintaining households. They are non-warrior class and keep a low profile, dedicated to their duties.

The Fade: The vampire afterlife, a peaceful and restful place where souls of deceased vampires go, watched over by the Scribe Virgin.

The Brotherhood: Refers to the members of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, an elite group of vampire warriors dedicated to protecting their species from the Lessening Society.

Primale: A male vampire chosen to mate with the Chosen to ensure the continuation of the vampire species. The Primale is considered to have a sacred duty.

The Lessening Society: An organization led by the Omega, consisting of lessers whose sole purpose is to exterminate the vampire race.

Transition: The period in a young vampire’s life when they change from a pre-vampire state into a fully mature vampire, marked by a need for blood.

Black Dagger Brotherhood Reading Order

Prepare yourself for a long list! The Black Dagger Brotherhood series alone is over 20 books, but Ward likes to entwine her series. So, this reading order includes the other series that also link to the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Here are the series that have also been included:

  • Fallen Angels series. When this series was written, it was meant to stand alone but be set in the same world as the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And, as someone who read it as it was released, it was a delight to see cameos from some of my favourite characters. It is a five book series that you can read without reading the Black Dagger Brotherhood. However, later on in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Ward has brought in the characters from the Fallen Angels. So, if you want to see more of Devina, Eddie and Adrian, then I recommend picking this up. We’ve mixed it in the reading order below.
  • Black Dagger Legacy series. If you’re reading the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and want to know what is happening, you need to include this series as well. And, likewise, don’t read the Legacy series until you’ve gotten to the right place in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It doesn’t stand well on its own. A huge part of the Legacy series is the secondary romance plots, all of which involve characters you only really know from the main series. But, don’t worry, it’s no chore. These books follow the stories of new recruits to the Brotherhood. Think training montages, smouldering glances between recruits and Ward’s brilliant brand of dysfunctional characters. These books are also included in the reading order below.
  • Black Dagger Brotherhood Prison Camp series. This series is an addition to the BDB universe and world with some minor references to the BDB original. However, you don’t have to read the BDB in order to read this one. And you also can choose to skip this spin off if you want and not miss any important details in your BDB reading journey. We’ve listed these books in the reading order below where they fall, but you can skip them without missing anything.
  • Lair of the Wolven series. This is another series that is set in the BDB universe and the wolven have been referenced throughout the BDB series but you don’t have to read the BDB if you want to pick up this series. They don’t necessarily connect, just expand the world. We’ve listed these books in the reading order below where they fall, but you can skip them without missing anything.
  • Kingdoms of the Compass series. This is J.R. Ward’s fantasy series, starting with Crown of War and Shadow. When I interviewed her, she told me it’s a four book series, and at her Cincinnati event for the Lover Enthroned release she announced that it’s tied to the BDB. That confirmed my theory from when I read the first book, which feels like an origin story for the Scribe Virgin and the Brotherhood. The connection comes together in The Scribe Virgin, the BDB book coming in 2029, so it’s worth reading this series before that one comes out.
  • Novellas. Can you call yourself a fan if you don’t read the novellas?

Black Dagger Brotherhood Universe Book List and Reading Order

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Related:
Black Dagger Legacy series guide

Want the companion book too? A new edition of The Black Dagger Brotherhood: 20th Anniversary Insider’s Guide comes out November 17, 2026. It’s the deep dive into the world, the brothers and the lore that fans will want on the shelf next to the series.

The Black Dagger Brotherhood TV Show

The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a TV series on Passionflix, with each season adapting one book in order. Season 1 was Dark Lover, and season 2, Rhage and Mary’s story from Lover Eternal, premiered October 29, 2026. If you’re deciding whether to watch, here’s my honest season 1 review.

Why You Should Read the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series

We recognise that some people (the “crazies”) haven’t started this series yet, or have stopped reading it. We know, it’s a big commitment, there are over 20 books in this series and counting, so it requires a considerable investment. Totally. Worth. It. And, by the time you have finished reading my brilliant and well thought out reasons why you should pick up the Black Dagger Brotherhood, you will be think so to.

The Sex

This is a PNR series…so you really can’t escape the sex, and frankly why would you want to? Ward writes some sizzling scenes between our fearless warriors and the women brave enough to face them. Not that it is all about the sex, but some of these guys wield their sex appeal like a weapon, and damn if it isn’t lethal. But it isn’t just their body parts that have you swooning, Ward knows exactly how to write a sex scene…and turn it into a love scene, it’s less about two bodies coming together, but two people.

“Shh.” He cranked her head to the side with a twist of his wrist, exposing her throat. “When I want you to beg, I’ll tell you.”

The Tears

Oh the feels…I can say that I have cried reading every single one of these books. Some of those tears were happy, some of them…not so much. Regardless of the cause of my tears, I am always pleased for them, Ward always gets me to a place when I am so invested in her story and her characters that I can’t help the emotion welling up. Any author that has the power to move me so, deserves my loyalty, so although these books aren’t always easy to read, they are always worth it.

“I miss you. I miss you so fucking bad it hurts, but I don’t know how to find you even though you’re right in front of me.”

The Laughter

As much as I love to be moved and have some tears drawn out of me, sometimes you want something that makes you smile, makes you laugh. And amongst some of the fairly dark and occasionally tragic happenings in BDB, we are treated to some hilarious moments between the Brothers, between the heroines, between all these people whose lives Ward has thrown together. It adds a warmth and light to the series that keeps you coming back for more as the bonds of friendship and love are strengthened with laughter.

“How’d you pick the breed, Fritz?”
“I, ah…chose him…” The doggen cleared his throat. “I chose him over the Labrador because he sheds more.”
Wraths blind eyes blinked “Why would that be a good thing?”
“Because your staff enjoy vacuuming. I thought this would be a lovely gift for them.”

The Wisdom

Wisdom. You don’t normally hear much about wisdom in a PNR series right? And yet, Ward’s insight and turns of phrase often have me nodding and thinking. Ward is a skilled writer, with a distinctive style that at times can almost be poetic, she writes about love, friendship, good, evil and that murky grey bits in between. Who said romance couldn’t also be intelligent?

“All right, then, her first rule for the rest of her days: no more looking outside for definitions. She might not have any clue who she was, but better to be lost and searching than shoved into a social box by someone else.”

The Warriors

Well, I can’t give you all the reasons for reading the Black Dagger Brotherhood without mentioning the Brothers themselves can I? Warrior vampires protecting their race from evil, all of them big, muscled, gorgeous and lethal, and therefore irresistible. Everyone has their favourite of the Brothers and they all have something different to offer, from the broody, tortured hero, to the king afraid to let his race down and the warrior women, finally bringing a little feminism to the archaic vamps. Suffice to say, pick up the series and you will soon be falling in love.

“Because that’s what the Brotherhood and their families were. Close as siblings, tighter than blood because they were chosen.”

Behind the BDB Audiobooks with Narrator Jim Frangione

If you listen to the Black Dagger Brotherhood on audio, you know Jim Frangione’s voice. He did his first ever blog interview with us back in 2012, talking about how he got into narrating, how he gives each brother his own voice and how he handles the steamy scenes. In 2015 he came back to take us behind the scenes of recording The Shadows, including the character names whose pronunciation changed in that book.

Read our interview with Jim Frangione →
Read Narrating The Shadows with Jim Frangione →

The Black Dagger Brotherhood Cast

We used to keep a fantasy cast for the brothers here. Now that the show is on Passionflix, the real cast gets its own post: my honest season 1 review includes how our old fantasy cast lines up against who Passionflix cast, and how I ranked the season 1 cast.

Free Black Dagger Brotherhood Crossword and Word Search

Print the BDB crossword puzzle and word search for free. The answer keys are on the second page, no peeking.

Download the crossword puzzle (PDF) →
Download the word search (PDF) →

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Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward series guide

Under the Covers is a romance reader's clubhouse built on honest recommendations and taste over hype, paranormal, historical, dark, and fantasy romance since 2011. Meet us →

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30 Comments

  5. I am doing a re-read which book did Assail meet Sola when she was spying on him with the skis and then she was kidnapped. I need to finish that book, please. Thank you.

    Reply

  6. I feel like I am so far behind in getting into this series but I can’t seem to put it down. I am almost finished with Lover Reborn and have a question, I know I am getting close to when the legacy series start, so I need to stop at any point with the BDB to res the legacy books? Also I know there is character crossever into the fallen angels, do I need to read them at some point during this series as well? I have this page bookmarked on all of my devices because I come back to every time I meet a new character. I love you guys!

    Reply

  9. great and all but Wrath’s photo should be of Peter Steele, not Jason Momoa since Ward herself has specifically stated in interviews that Wrath is based off of Peter!

    Reply

  10. I am struggling with the decline of elder Lyric in Lover Forbidden. If vampires live 700 years but Blay was maybe a few years out of transition when the explosion occurred then we rejoin the group 33 years later, right? That makes Blay maybe 60, at most. So how old was his mother when she birthed him? How is she already on the rapid age decline at end of life? She would have had to be so old when he was born. I’m just struggling with this timeline, as all the other vampire females seem to have children in their first hundred years. Make it make sense.

    Reply