CorinaWrites

This Black Dagger Brotherhood cheat sheet is here to answer all your burning questions about the BDB, including top fan/reader FAQs and some that have plagued me personally. Any proper cheat sheet should have resources, so I’ve included links to BDB family trees, a character guide, a reading order guide, and more. If you love the Black Dagger Brotherhood, but want to get your facts straight, this is the place to be!

Fair warning, there be spoilers about these waters…

Black Dagger Brotherhood FAQs

In what order do you read The Black Dagger Brotherhood books?

This is a long list, and it begins with Dark Lover. Check out my BDB Reading Order post for all the books in order. There’s a section that has just the reading order for the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, and a section with the reading order including the Fallen Angel books.

Who is Xhex’s brother?

Xhex’s brother is named Blade, AKA Horace, and he is half sympath. He’s her half-brother on the sympath side, and we don’t even hear about him until he is mentioned in Claimed (The Lair of the Wolven), released in 2021.

If you’re asking who Xhex’s brother is, as in, who is her mate in the brotherhood, it’s John Matthew!

Who are the twins in the Black Dagger Brotherhood?

There are several sets of twins in the BDB world, but the main twins are Phury and Zsadist. They are identical twins, which are exceptionally rare, but were separated shortly after birth when Zsadist (Z) was stolen and sold into slavery. Phury rescued him many years later, but lost his leg in the process. They both bear physical and emotional scars from that time but have since mostly recovered, and have each found love with their shellans.

Other twins include the Shadows (Tres and iAm), the newly born young of Qhuinn and Layla (Lyric and Rhampage), and Assail’s cousins (Ehric and Evale).

Who is Aggie?

Aggie, also known as Aghony II, is the child of Phury and Cormia. He is mentioned in a deleted scene found in The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider’s Guide published in 2008. In the general sequence of books, as of September 2022, he has not yet been conceived or born.

Who is Butch’s father?

Butch O’Neal’s father is Robert Bluff, a vampire (likely half-breed) who has a predilection for human nurses in the Boston and New York area. Bluff is also the father of Manny Manello and Jo Early (see next question). We officially meet Bluff in the audiobook Darius: A Black Dagger Brotherhood Love Story, published in 2022.

How are Butch, Manny, and Jo related?

Butch O’Neal, Manny (Manuel) Manello and Jo Early are all half siblings who share the same father: Robert Bluff. They each have different human mothers, despite some confusing details in prior books that implied otherwise. It is also important to note that Robert Bluff is a distant cousin to Wrath, making Butch, Manny and Jo cousins to Wrath as well.

How are Darius and John Matthew connected?

Darius lived an honorable life but was taken to the Fade too soon, so the Scribe Virgin offered him a chance to live anew. She reincarnated him as John Matthew, but he was not consciously aware of this when he was reborn. It is confusing, because there’s a period of time between John Matthew’s birth in the 80s, and Darius’ death in the 2000s, where their lives overlapped. It’s just part of the Scribe Virgin’s magic and something to be accepted!

John Matthew does retain some of Darius’ memories and skills, but this often triggers a seizure response in him. Xhex (John Matthew’s mate) has been aware of this for a while, but Beth (Darius’ daughter/John Matthew’s sister) just became aware of it in Darius: A Black Dagger Brotherhood Love Story.

Are Butch and Vishous in love?

In a word, yes. They share a deep love that does have a romantic and sexual component to it. Their connection is best described by the word “trahyner” in the Old Language. It is defined as “a word used between males of mutual respect and affection. Translated loosely as ‘beloved friend’.” This being said, their love in no way diminishes the absolute love and devotion they each have for their mates. V and Jane, and Butch and Marissa, are both incredibly strong couples who understand the complex dynamics very well.

Does V cheat on Jane?

No but he comes sooooo close. Close enough that I had to close the book in anger, and that’s all I have to say about that!

Will there be a Black Dagger Brotherhood movie?

There is always talk of a Black Dagger Brotherhood movie or TV series in the works, but the author has no current plans for either. If that changes, though, I will post here ASAP. And if you have heard otherwise, please fill me in!

Resources

Here are some quick links and resources that you may find helpful as you get to know these characters and their world:

• The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider’s Guide: This book will introduce you to the initial main characters and give you a ton of inside information – slices of life, deleted scenes, interviews, and more.
• BDB Reading Order: My post with the complete reading order for all books and novellas in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world.
• BDB Family Trees: My post with links to family tree charts for the main characters in The Black Dagger Brotherhood.
• J.R. Ward’s Amazon Page: I’ve included links for all the books mentioned below, but you can find everything Ward has written on her Amazon page.
• J.R. Ward’s Website: Get to know Ward, see the official reading order, read FAQs, and more.