BDB Party: 5 Reasons I Love the BDB Vampires

The Black Dagger Brotherhood Party is an awesome week-long celebration that Rachel, Kelly & I are hosting. We love the series, we love these vampires, and we wanted to share that love with all of you. Expect fun posts from each of us, and some posts that we've all collaborated on, as well as mini-reviews from me and Rachel, who are first-time BDB readers! You can also chat with us about the books, the characters and anything BDB-related on Twitter, by using the hashtag #BDBparty.

If you've been following me for a while, you'll know that I'm extremely wary when it comes to vampire books. While I've certainly had some hits and misses with them over the years, there came a point where I had just had enough and decided to drop the vampire books since none of them were leaving a good impression. (Off topic, but somehow relevant: This, of course, doesn't apply to my TV shows, as I'm a big fan of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals.)

So what in the world had me committing to reading Black Dagger Brotherhood, considering it's (1) a series with quite a number of released books (11, as a matter of fact) (2) starring mainly a brotherhood of vampires? In all honesty, it was peer pressure (from my sister). I wasn't even sure I'd continue with it, but decided to give the first book a chance.

Clearly, since I'm celebrating it all this week, I ended up falling in love with this series.

I am convinced that some people write sparkly, slightly stalker-ish vampires, and that some people write cool, murderous, kick-ass vampires. While the former does nothing for me, the latter apparently works. Here are five reasons I adore the Brotherhood vampires:

1. They are violent, tough, kick-ass vampires. No pansies here! I love it when vampires can actually fight and fight well. While not all the vampires are as powerful as the boys in the Brotherhood, most of them can hold their own in a battle. It gives me such a thrill to read about their intense, action-packed showdowns.
2. In spite of being all those things, these vampires also have hearts. They might be fighters, sure, but these Brotherhood boys also have consciences. Their need to protect the innocent, fight for justice and their unquestionable loyalty are all things I'd like to have in my friends, whether or not they are vampires.
3. There's structural organization among the vampires, and it actually makes sense. The Brotherhood exists, with Wrath as the Blind King. Then there's the aristocracy, and the civilians, and the young male vampires being trained by the Brotherhood. It's actually a pretty complex, if slightly corrupt, structure, and it makes things a lot more interesting for readers.
4. Say what - vampires that DON'T prey on humans? That's right - these vampires actually feed on each other. I actually like the fact that this distinction is made clear in the books. It doesn't make them less scary, of course, but it actually makes sense. Vampires and human tend to co-exist in this series, and I actually love it.
5. When these vampires fall in love, it's forever. The best thing about these vampires is that when they find their mate (their shellan/leelan), it's something that's eternal. They want no other person, they get extremely protective and they are utterly devoted and attracted to their mate. Who doesn't want a male that will stay true to them forever?

Take it from a girl who nearly gave up on (book) vampires - the Black Dagger Brotherhood definitely helped changed my mind. If you don't believe, take a chance on the first book in the series (Dark Lover) and meet them for yourself. Be sure to stay tuned this week as we share more of our thoughts on this pretty awesome series!

(Note: This is an adult series and might not necessarily appeal to everyone.)

Are you a vampire fan or have you completely given them up like me? If you're a fan, which vampires books would you recommend? If not, why did you give up on vampires? Would you consider trying out the Black Dagger Brotherhood?