The Story of Son by J.R. Ward

The Story of Son is found in the anthology, Dead After Dark, and was my introduction into the Black Dagger Brotherhood world a few years ago. After reading Michael and Claire’s story, I had to run out and buy the entire series and it turned out to be my favorite PNR series of all time.

There’s something so compelling about the race of vampires that the WARDen, J.R. Ward, has created. They are incredibly strong males and females, both physically and emotionally, though sometimes it takes awhile for them to find and accept that inner strength.

In the Story of Son  we meet Son, a 68 year old male who is half human, half vampire. We learn that he has been imprisoned by his mother, Miss Eliza Leeds, in the basement of the estate they live on, since he was 12 years old. Once a year his mother has a female brought to the house and held captive for a few days so Son can feed.

Claire Stroughton, Miss Leeds’ family attorney, is the latest “victim” brought to the house to feed Son, then be released like all the other women who have been brought to him over the years. Claire finds such tenderness, such innocence and passion in Son that she can’t help but want to rescue him from the heartache and imprisonment he’s endured for so long, and spend the rest of her life loving him.I was so very happy when Claire took the first step toward making him feel like a real person and  not just an animal meant to be caged up when she gave him a real name; Michael.

One thing that readers of the BDB series will likely question immediately is Michael being able to survive off of feeding only once a year, when we know the warrior vampires require feeding much more often. There’s no indication that Michael is, or will ever be, a Brother. As I said before, he’s a civilian vampire and a half human one at that. I’ve never seen it addressed anywhere by the WARDen as to how often a half human, civilian vampire needs to feed, so it might be very possible that this isn’t an inconsistency at all.

Over the years the WARDen has said she might bring Son/Michael into the BDB world, officially, by introducing his young to the series. I can't tell you how much I'm hoping she'll do exactly that.