by J.R. Ward
Part of Black Dagger Brotherhood, book 3
First published 2006
Zsadist carries scars from his years as a blood slave. The most feared warrior in the Black Dagger Brotherhood, he fights to protect vampires from the Lessening Society in Caldwell, New York. Rage consumes him. Terror drives him. Then he saves Bella, an aristocratic vampire, from her captors. She sees past his savage reputation to the seething power within him. Their attraction grows despite his damaged soul. But Zsadist's hunger for revenge against those who tortured Bella pushes him toward madness. She must help him heal from his brutal past while he battles enemies who want to destroy their race. Their love becomes a war between his need for vengeance and his chance at redemption.
Genres: fiction, romance, fantasy, paranormal
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: damaged-hero, enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Caldwell, New York
Period: contemporary
434 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Signet
Content warnings: abuse, violence