Rating: 
Summary: Awesome! One of the best in her series.
Review: This is one of the best "Dark" books in the series. It flowed smoothly from scene to scene. My emotions rollercoasted. Gabriel, alone for so long, wanting and not wanting to end his brother's existence, finally meets his lifemate. Of course, typical man that he is, he meets her a few centuries after she knew he was her lifemate. She has done the impossible and hidden herself away from ALL Carpathians and vampires for a thousand years. I like the fact that she is strong and independent and tells Gabriel to his face that though he may have said the ritual words, she is still planning on leaving him, something no Capathian man can allow. This was truly one of the best of the series. Can't wait for Lucien's story.
Rating: 
Summary: This is Getting Ridiculous
Review: Not that i expect literature of the highest calibre in the genre Ms. Feehan has chosen, for the most part when I pick up one of her "Dark" books I am looking for a fast fun read with some decent romance and maybe a little suspense. When I read my first ( Dark Gold ) I felt my criteria were met and I had to give the author credit for an original take on an otherwise standard scifi/fantasy romance pretense. But the pretense is only as original as the first book in the series you happen to read, because thus far every book has been almost identical.It's not that I am maligning formulaic writing; if something works, keep varying the theme until it won't sell. But for goodness' sake, the key word there is VARY. As in variety? The characters, myriad demi-Slavic or new age names and the occasional different hair color aside, fit so well into the apparently single template Ms Feehan has created, they are essentially interchangeable.
Case in point,a previous reviewer of one of the other novels pointed out an ancient vampire's repeated use of the endearment "honey" was hard to swallow. Well, I had the exact same problem with this book. The Carpathian male characters, in particular, are overbearing carbon copies of each other.With the wealth of endearments and pet names used throughout the ages, could we not get something a little more fitting, and more importantly VARIED?
With the formulaic premise behind these books that each Carpathian has a single, unique lifemate, and each is so individualized that no other combination will do, you'd think the outside observer ( we, the readers), should be given a bit more supporting evidence.
By the way, the same goes for love scenes. You would think there was a tax on adjectives and simile, with the meager supply displayed here.
That said, had this been the first in the series I had read, I probably would have enjoyed it with the same abandon I enjoyed Dark Gold. Exactly the same.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best in the Dark Series!
Review: Gabriel has been hunting his twin brother, Lucien, for hundreds of years. He never dreamed that his brother, who was the strongest of all Carpathians, could turn vampire, but he was determined to keep his promise to destroy him before he can ruin more innocent lives. Gabriel knows that he is not Lucien's equal, but he did manage to trick him and imprison them both deep underground for over a hundred years. But something woke him suddenly and Gabriel knew that Lucien was free. All Gabriel felt, though, was a relentless hunger, an overwhelming desire for blood that demanded satisfaction. Before he could find suitable prey, he heard a voice calling to him, soothing, calming, and offering him strength to control his craving.Francesca Del Ponce was a healer and had dedicated her life to good and helping those less fortunate. Unbeknownst to the humans who surrounded her, Francesca was Carpathian, one of the few females who escaped the bloodletting many years ago. Francesca had separated herself from all other Carpathians and resigned herself to living alone. She knew that she had a life mate out there because she had seen him, but he had turned away from her without saying a word. That man was Gabriel. Gabriel had no idea that he had caused so much anguish to his lifemate and he was horrified when he found out the truth. Still, he could not be denied and claimed Francesca as his own. For the first time in centuries he could see colors and feel emotions - feel fear... Because he knew that by binding Francesca to him, he had made her a target for his twin, Lucien, who was always watching, waiting for the moment to strike... I simply loved this book. It is a wonderful addition to the Dark series and I think that Christine Feehan keeps getting better with each book she writes in the series. Gabriel was a very strong Carpathian male, but so sweet and tender with Francesca and he had many soft spots that made him endearing. Francesca was a very untypical Carpathian female and had discovered many wonders and accomplished much in her medical research and study over the years. She is no wilting violet, but she doesn't defy Gabriel over every little thing either, which was a refreshing change. The characters were great, the love scenes were hot and Gabriel and Francesca are simply perfect for each other! If you haven't read any of the Dark Series you are seriously missing out and, if you have, this is definitely a book that you will want to own - it's a keeper!
Rating: 
Summary: Better than some
Review: Christine Feehan is a truly amazing author. Her books are incredibly addictive, and once I started this series, I didn't stop until I had read them all! Gabriel's tale was one of my favorites. What I find fascinating is that all of her books have basically the same outline: Love starved Carpathian seeking THE ONE true love to redeem his life. But it doesn't matter, because each new character becomes someone you like, and you find yourself eagerly wanting the women to accept them. Like I said, once I started, I couldn't stop. I only wish she had another dozen or so for me to read!
|
