The Black Dagger Brotherhood reading order follows J.R. Ward’s paranormal romance series about a secret group of vampire warriors who protect their race from the Lessening Society. The story begins in Caldwell, New York, with Wrath, the last purebred vampire and reluctant king, and Beth Randall, a human reporter whose life is about to change.
Each book centers on a romance, but the larger war, political struggles, and character arcs continue across the series. Ward has also expanded the world through Black Dagger Legacy, Prison Camp, Lair of the Wolven, novellas, and companion guides.
For Ward’s other series, standalone novels, and books published under her other pen names, see my complete J.R. Ward books in order guide.
Jump to:
- Black Dagger Brotherhood Reading Order by Publication Date
- J.R. Ward’s Official Reading Order
- Black Dagger Brotherhood TV Series
Black Dagger Brotherhood Reading Order by Publication Date
I recommend starting with the main novels in publication order. Dark Lover is the intended introduction to Caldwell, the Brotherhood, and the Lessening Society. The relationships change from book to book, but the larger story keeps moving forward.
After you’re comfortable with the main series, you can add the connected stories and spin-offs. Each branch has its own order, and several of them overlap with events and characters from the main novels.
Black Dagger Brotherhood Series
The main series follows a different central couple in most installments, while earlier characters continue playing important roles. Read these novels in publication order so the romances, political conflicts, and long-running character arcs unfold as Ward wrote them.
- Dark Lover (2005)
- Lover Eternal (2006)
- Lover Awakened (2006)
- Lover Revealed (2007)
- Lover Unbound (2007)
- Lover Enshrined (2008)
- Lover Avenged (2009)
- Lover Mine (2010)
- Lover Unleashed (2011)
- Lover Reborn (2012)
- Lover at Last (2013)
- The King (2014)
- The Shadows (2015)
- The Beast (2016)
- The Chosen (2017)
- The Thief (2018)
- The Savior (2019)
- The Sinner (2020)
- Lover Unveiled (2021)
- Lover Arisen (2022)
- Lassiter (2023)
- The Beloved (2024)
- Lover Forbidden (2025)
- Lover Enthroned (2026)
Black Dagger Brotherhood Companion Guides
The first companion guide fits after Lover Enshrined. It includes character interviews, dossiers, deleted material, and the novella Father Mine. If you buy the separate edition of Father Mine, you’ll be getting the same story again.
The anniversary guide fits after Lover Forbidden. It includes the original Wrath and Beth novella “Happy Anniversary,” along with interviews and additional material from the series.
- The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider’s Guide (2008)
- The Black Dagger Brotherhood: 20th Anniversary Insider’s Guide (2025)
Black Dagger Brotherhood World Stories
These books and novellas take place in the wider Brotherhood world but aren’t numbered installments in the main series. Most focus on side characters or stories that happen away from the central novels.
Darius takes place before Dark Lover, but I wouldn’t begin the series there. His story carries more weight after you know Beth, Wrath, and the Brotherhood. The Story of Son first appeared in the anthology Dead After Dark before receiving a standalone edition.
- Father Mine (2008)
- The Story of Son (2008)
- Dearest Ivie (2018)
- Prisoner of Night (2019)
- Where Winter Finds You (2019)
- A Warm Heart in Winter (2020)
- Darius (2022)
Black Dagger Legacy Books
The Black Dagger Legacy series follows a new group of vampire recruits training under the original Brothers. Each book has its own central romance, while familiar Brotherhood characters remain involved in the larger fight.
- Blood Kiss (2015)
- Blood Vow (2016)
- Blood Fury (2018)
- Blood Truth (2019)
Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp
The Prison Camp series follows vampires connected to the glymera’s secret prison. These books bring the focus back to individual romances while keeping the original Brothers involved in the action.
- The Jackal (2020)
- The Wolf (2021)
- The Viper (2022)
- A Bloom in Winter (2024)
Lair of the Wolven Books
The Lair of the Wolven series explores another part of Ward’s supernatural world. It begins with a scientist searching for answers at a remote research facility and introduces wolven characters, hidden experiments, and a mystery that develops across the series.
The Fallen Angels books share some supernatural connections with Caldwell, but they work as their own series. You can read them separately without adding them to the Black Dagger Brotherhood order.
J.R. Ward’s Official Reading Order
Ward’s official reading order combines the main Black Dagger Brotherhood novels with the Black Dagger Legacy books and both companion guides. It isn’t a chronological timeline. It’s the order she recommends for following the connected main story.
I’d choose this order if you want the fullest experience without interrupting major reveals or character developments. The World stories, Prison Camp books, and Lair of the Wolven books can be read from their separate lists above whenever you’re ready to branch out.
- Dark Lover
- Lover Eternal
- Lover Awakened
- Lover Revealed
- Lover Unbound
- Lover Enshrined
- The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider’s Guide (Companion Guide)
- Lover Avenged
- Lover Mine
- Lover Unleashed
- Lover Reborn
- Lover at Last
- The King
- The Shadows
- Blood Kiss (Black Dagger Legacy)
- The Beast
- Blood Vow (Black Dagger Legacy)
- The Chosen
- Blood Fury (Black Dagger Legacy)
- The Thief
- The Savior
- Blood Truth (Black Dagger Legacy)
- The Sinner
- Lover Unveiled
- Lover Arisen
- Lassiter
- The Beloved
- Lover Forbidden
- The Black Dagger Brotherhood: 20th Anniversary Insider’s Guide (Companion Guide)
- Lover Enthroned
Black Dagger Brotherhood TV Series
Passionflix adapted the Black Dagger Brotherhood for television, beginning with Dark Lover. The first season follows Wrath and Beth, introduces the Brotherhood and the Lessening Society, and focuses on the same central romance and conflict as the opening novel.
The season adapts one book rather than combining several novels. It keeps the core relationship and major story beats from Dark Lover, while condensing and rearranging parts of the book for television. You can watch The Black Dagger Brotherhood on Passionflix.
Looking for similar books in order?
If you want more romance authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Romance Books in Order index.