TOP TEN ISSUES WITH J.R.Ward’s BDB series:
- The pervasive appropriation and use of rap music and rap culture with not one single person of color present as a regular character directly tied into the plot.
- The use of the word “Moors” to refer to characters who are obviously Black.
- The absence of women of color and vampires of color.
- The heavy Christian overtones. Just bludgeon me already!
- The heavy references to designer labels. Capitalism and classism, people.
- The homoerotic relationships with no real homosexual couples present in the books are an affront to the queer community.
- The Scribe Virgin. Period.
- Vishous exhibits misongynistic traits. I understand the deal with his mom, but, jeez, its so apparent.
- Lover Enshrined. The whole thing.
- Bella, Marissa, Beth, Jane, Cormia, Mary & Rhage. The caveman-eat-from-my-hand-guard-you-with-my-knife-traps-you-in-my-mansion-for the rest of your life-for-”your safety and mine”-but-its-all-your-choice-of-course thing. That’s all I’m saying.
patty
you know an awful lot about a series of books you have problems with,lol…it’s all good tho. i love the series, warts and all and you seem to enjoy it too…
Ms. Queenly
That’s right, patty. I never said I didn’t like it. I believe BDB has a lot of potential to be a better series and it just is not right now. I liked it when I first read it but my issues with it keep increasing with each successive addition to the series.
thatstlphoenix
Hi Queenly,
I’m from the BDB forum. I have to agree with everything you said. I felt annoyed and many times while I read the first book, I had to step away. Why? Because of exactly what you said, my issue was more cultured based. I had serious issues with the slang usage. So I kept reading because first off I love vampires and I’ve read all of L.A. Banks books up to that point and needed something to read. So here I am, reading and seeing all this slang and I’m hopeful, because we are not represented in the paranormal books especially the vampire world. We are usually, if shown a side thing. This was my problem with Anne Rice when she delved more into the New Orleans culture but she didn’t go deep into it so I didn’t get upset and I was young when I read the books. I’m 28 now so I know better.
I still love vampires and want too myself in many of the books I read, which happen to be paranormal work, fantasy romance books and standard romance/chick lit works. I’ve been a book worm since the womb. Since I wanted these things I decided to write and put myself in these genres, but I still like to read other authors. So its refreshing to see that I’m not the only African American woman out there reading these books and not being able to identify with it except for what slang…and not every black person speaks in slang or listens to hip hop. J.R. has me wondering where she’s going to go with the series and if she will introduce any Black angels in her other book.
She has a good number of black fans as I’ve seen from the thread I’m hoping she can show us as a white female writer that we can has successful stories. I know its not her place but she started it so she needs to finish it. We can be heroes and not the villains. We can be strong women and men in these books as well, one day authors of such works will get this in there heads and be brave to put our stories out there and we as black writers will be able to get our work out and read by all races and enjoyed by them as well as major publishing companies.
But until then, I’m going to be an angry black woman who enjoys her books and making sure I find something in the paranormal writings that I can relate too. I”m still reading J.R to give her a chance, I hope she come through. I also hope and I’m not trying to be offense but, I hope she doesn’t make at least one of the characters do what TV is doing being PC and casting a interracial romance. Its done soooooooo much that I’m getting numb, I know that’s the point, but black love is beautiful too look at the Obama and break that down and look at our president’s background interracial love is beautiful too… so why can’t both be equally shown on TV and written in books. Is my point.
much respect.
Also, how do I subscribe to read your other comments on other authors, because you have some that I wanted to look into. AND this is a long comment so sorry lol.