Review of 2008 RITA Award Winner, Lover Revealed
Character and Subplot in JR Ward’s Paranormal Romance Novel
May 3, 2009
Each year the Romance Writers of America honors outstanding romance novels with the prestigious RITA award. In 2008, J.R. Ward’s Lover Revealed was named best Paranormal Romance novel of the year. Since the release of Dark Lover in 2005, Ward's series has proven to be a Paranormal Romance favorite. In this installment of Ward’s wildly popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series, new and loyal readers are drawn into the continuing saga of the Vampire Warriors and their human, soon-to-be vampire, friend Butch O’Neal.
Struggling to define his position amongst the towering alpha males of the Brotherhood, Butch attempts to create a life for himself within the vampire community. Helping the brothers battle their enemies and assist the community in the fight against domestic abuse, Butch finds a sense of fulfillment. But when Butch falls in love with the vampire aristocrat Marissa, his passions threaten to jeopardize her reputation and his future with the brotherhood. But before Butch can rightfully claim Marissa as his mate, he must discover his life's path and purpose.
Culture and Community in Caldwell, New York
In Caldwell vampires and humans share a quiet existence. Because vampires only feed from other vampires, human life is not in jeopardy with regards to human beings used for food. True to vampire lore, daylight is off limits to the vampire species, but after dark vampires and human walk, play, party, and pray together. Dedicated to protecting their own, vampires maintain their almost human identities with quiet dignity and an understanding of the cultural balance in place.
In order to keep their existence intact, the vampire community must rely on the brotherhood to protect them from the violent attacks of the Lessening Society. In this capacity, Butch and the vampire warriors work as police protection for those who cannot defend themselves. But in the process of defending their people, a previously unrecognized problem of domestic abuse amongst civilian vampire families is uncovered.
Male Power: The Good and The Bad
The alpha male is a Romance Literature hallmark, and the Black Dagger Brotherhood is rife with strong, decisive, protective males. Amidst all the muscle building testosterone, there is little room to question the male’s ability to care for his female and their family. To hurt a female or a child is against the code of these warriors, but during a mission the Brotherhood discovers some of their civilian counterparts do not adhere to the rules of chivalry and decency. In need of law enforcement, the vampire warriors look to Butch for assistance.
The conflict of Lover Revealed centers on Butch’s struggle to find his place within the vampire world, and his search for famiiy and heritage. As a subplot, the reader finds Butch's ability to use his police training to assist Marissa in the development of a task force against domestic abuse provides him with an effective tool for self-discovery and self-fulfillment. In this capacity, Butch assists the vampire world with his expertise and establishes himself as a strong, capable male: A male strong enough to save the helpless and care for his lover Marissa, who has much of the strength and power of her male counterparts.
Why Fans Adore the Vampire Warriors
In Lover Revealed, Butch O’Neal continues the tradition of strong, passionate male characters that Black Dagger Brotherhood reader’s have grown to love and trust. Complementing these loving yet ferocious males, J.R. Ward's female characters are intelligent, driven women who challenge and cherish the men who pledge their lives to them.
For fans of the paranormal romance genre, the Brotherhood delivers character driven plots, heart stopping passion, and commentary on contemporary issues that make the Black Dagger Brotherhood novels entertaining, relevant, and fascinating reads.
Book Details: Lover Revealed, 2007, Penguin Books, ISBN: 0451412354
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