Dark Demon (The Carpathians (Dark) Series - Book 13)

Oops she did it again!!! Like all the Dark Series book before this is one is as good if not better than the last!!! The stories are just getting better and better!!! I hope they NEVER end!!! Just what one needs to be entertained. To be transforted to a land where "LOVE and MEN" are what one hopes they were!!! Thanks, Ms. Feehan!!! Job well done!!!

This is one of my absolute favorites! It doesn't get better than this. Vikirnoff and Natalya are two strong characters and they are perfect together. I was really glad to see another strong female lead!

I couldn't believe this book was written by Christine Feehan, I have all of her books and short stories and I have waited all this time for Virkernoff's story. When Dark Secret came out I just thought she was taking time to make this one better. Not so.

Somehow the story line of Carpathians seeking their lifemates has turned to a saga about Magi and Magick attacking the Carpathians. Some of the VAmpires, some of the Jaguar, and Xavier, a mad magi who is hunting immortality, join togather to destroy Mikhail and therefore the rest of the Carpathians. I got so tired of the battles and the scenes underground that I skimmed alot of this book.

There was so much not explained, how did the dragons get captured? How did her brother, who had little magic, manage to overcome her so completely? What happened to the little girl the dragons helped escape? What happened to Skyler, who was adopted by Gabrial and Francesca? Where was the imperative to totally possess his lifemate? Yes, there is some of the romance we expect but most of the 500 pages were explainations of things we should have already known. I hated all the explanations about the language. For goodness sake, who cares?

Maybe this book was a big lead into the next one, I don't know. I do know this is a BIG disappointment. Maybe someone told her she needed to add more color to her world and that her readers would get tired of the same old thing. However, I buy her books for the same old thing, it's not the same at all. I loved the integrity of her Carpathians, their devotion to one woman, that is very rare in our world. With a limited number of mated Carpathians surely there are more psychic women out there. And a lot more stories where these brave souls find the light.

All the things I love about the Dark books was left out of this one. By the middle of the book I didn't care if they were killed or not. Then for all of our beloved characters from other books to be so defeated and tired and depressed and bloodless has left me totally flat.

I personally loved this new addition to Christine Feehan's continuing dark series. Vikirnoff has held on to life for so long and finally finds his one and only in Natalya. Feehan brings in previous characters and ties up some loose ends and makes way for future stories. I love all Christine Feehan's books and look forward to many more in the future.

I have LOVED all of the dark hunter series. However, this book left me feeling like alot was missing, and this book did not seem to weave the characters together as the others have; WAY too much fighting, and blah blah blah. That's how it left me feeling. I hope she takes a break, regroups and comes out with a fabulous book like we all know she is very capable of writing. I was very disappointed in this book. I truly, truly hope she reads all of the reviews before writing a new dark hunter book so she can see how her fans view this latest book.

If you like classic Feehan then readers should pick this one up if they haven’t already. The newer books seem to have more scenes with the hero and heroine getting physical and up to sexy shenanigans to the point that it can seem overdone. But, in the older books of the series there was more action, good vs. the vampire bad guys, fighting, escapes, challenges, suspense and drama and plenty for readers to sink their teeth into. Dark Demon is one such story. It’s the 13th installment of the long-running series and I prefer the kind of excitement that I find in this novel. It’s a guaranteed page turner.

The biggest asset in this novel is the heroine, Natalya. Not only is she a warrior and a survivor against impossible odds, but she’s got a mouth on her, full of sass, cheek and hysterical pop culture references. She’s relied on herself so often and so long that she has a chip on her shoulder when it comes to trust. Trying to mesh her personality with the demands of her newly found and unwanted hunk of a lifemate, Vikirnoff, provides grins, sighs and excitement consistently throughout the story. I completely enjoyed Natalya.

As for the hero, Vikirnoff, his frustration in finding out that his lifemate is as far from June Cleaver as the sun is to Neptune had me laughing quite a lot. For a man hundreds of years old, during a time in which the culture dictated that women didn’t fight, relied on their men and acquiesced to their wishes, Natalya’s warrior independence constantly confounded, infuriated and, turned him on. I enjoyed watching his progression of unacceptance to ‘he wouldn’t have her any other way’. Eventually Vik falls in love with the heroine just the way she is. Getting there though, is a wild and entertaining ride.

In later novels there is a huge community feeling which makes many books not standalone reads. Dark Demon is better suited to being a standalone because the key focus is specifically Natalya and Vikirnoff; their hot and cold relationship, and their fight to stay alive when forces want the hero dead and the heroine captured for nefarious purposes. Past characters are mentioned but only when the suspense heats up and the critical climax ensues. And, what an action packed time it is in the last few chapters of the novel. It’s so gripping I suggest making sure there are no interruptions when you get to them.

Pick up your own copy to see Ms. Feehan at her best; when the community is still being built, the greatest enemy is diabolically evil, clever and a worthy opponent, and the sexual tension and eventual culmination is the perfect balance for a reader to be completely satisfied. This is an awesome tale of romantic suspense with an effective paranormal cast of characters. The happy ever after is classic Carpathian. Totally recommended!

originally posted at long and short reviews

The story begins with a full pack action scene as the main character Natalya clashes with a scum sucking vampire and meets her lifemate the sophisiticated, the elegant, the handsome (yet a caveman regarding women) Virkirnoff. From the start Dark Demon takes you into a world full of suspense, drama, cliffhangers, action, mystery and a little bit of romance and comedy. And therefore you have to read it a couple of times to appreciate the format. It was a good book yet it could have been better had the author spent more time developing and building the dark love and desire that the Carpathian male feels towards his Carpathian female after he finally finds her. In any case I am going to summarize the high points and low points of the book. Let's start with the low:
-In Dark Demon the two main characters are much like two best friends arguing on who kills the vampire or whether they should venture into something more. Although the love scenes were hot it felt as if they were just messily inserted to shut up the reader. In fact the first love scenes takes places towards the end of the book. ( A big no no )
-Too much cliffhangers There are at least three or more cliffhangers in the book is Natalyas twin alive or dead? Is Xavier the wizard alive or dead? What is in the dark book? Sometimes too many cliffhangers takes the edge out of the book and creates unnecessary frusturation at the author when you just want to say, " Just spill the beans already!"
-Not enough romance between the two charcters in the book and I believe this was done deliberately by the author so that she could focus more on the action and mystery and thus sacrificed the romance.
-Main heroine too .... much. Okay we got your point that Natalya is a fierce indpendent [...] warrior woman but jeeez. Now I am totally into being an independent woman however her independence and her attitude towards the main character makes the reader want to shake some sense into her and slap her silly
High Points of book, which by the way saved it for a rating of 4 stars
-All of the cliffhangers left by the other 10 Dark novels for the most part are finally answered..The death of Rhianonnon, the dragons in the cave, the society, Xavier, the dragonseeker clan
-More interaction with secondary characters. In this book we see the return of the Prince Mikhail, Gregori, Falcon, Sara, but most importantly the reader is introduced to the hot dark and handsome older brother of the De la Cruz family: Manolito and from the Dragonseeker's Rhianonnons brother Dominic.
-A woman is converted to a carpathian without finding her lifemate!! I am not telling who it is???
In any case dark demon was a good book and most importantly it was written as an introduction to the next book Dark Celebration which is why I feel Feehan sacrificed this book so that we can be either introduced or reacquainted with the old characters.

All in all I give it a four ......

Descended from the revered Dragonseeker clan and possessing sorcery skills, Natalya Shonski is a force to be reckoned with. Having spent centuries fighting the vampires who wreak havoc to the world, she has lived a solitary life, with only the memories of her twin brother to accompany her in her solitude. But now she is feeling the weight of being alone, wishing she had a clan whom she can belong to. Then she meets the very same being whom she considers her enemy...

For over a thousand years, Vikirnoff Von Shrieder has hunted vampires alongside his brother, with every kill stealing a piece of his soul. He is tired of the bleak endless years of serving his people, with only his code of honor and the company of his brother preventing him from turning into the very creature he's been sent out to destroy. But now that his brother has found his lifemate, life seems more unenduring void of any color or emotion. Then he found her: the very woman who can save him. But he's in for a big shock if he thought that he would get a complaisant woman, for never in his wildest dream did he imagine that his lifemate would be a kick-ass vampire slayer with incredible powers.

From the first chapter, I knew I was in for another action-packed read. It was good to see the powers and strength that Natalya possessed, and how she has fended for herself for centuries. That's why reading about Vikirnoff's shock over her was quite funny. The way it took him a while to get over the fact that his lifemate is just as powerful as him, and even managed to save his life a few times, was rather ironic.

DARK DEMON is another entertaining entry into the Carpathian Series, although not one of my favourites. I do wish that the author spent more time developing the characters, rather than concentrating on page-after-page of battles. I guess what also disappointed me was the fact that none of the ancient Carpathians, like the legendary twins Gabriel and Lucian, seemed around just when their Prince needed them. I mean, their Prince's life was nearly endangered and only a handful of Carpathians are there to protect him?

Anyway, if you've been following the series, I still recommend reading this. And despite the prolonged fight scenes, the one towards the end had my pulses racing. I won't divulge the details, except to say "Whoa, Mikhail!".

I loved Natalya's snarky comments and her constant references to movie monsters. Vikirnoff's bewilderment was so hilarious. Plus the way these two constantly riled each other up....just for the heck of it!

This was definitely one of Christine's more humorous novels. The way Natalya snarked at the vampires, her flamethrower experiments...She's definitely one of my favorite heroines in a long time. I would really like to see more like her.

Like many Feehan fans, I anxiously awaited Dark Demon. It is a good story, but some parts seem to drag. I loved both of the appendix(one on the healing chants and the other on the Carpathian language, but I wished this would have been in her very first book Dark Prince. I miss the flow of the other books. I like reading the lifemate ritual words in English, without the Carpathian words which are difficult to read anyway.

Now that I've written the downer--here is the upswing. I loved the action and the mixing of two magical beings. I also enjoyed hearing about "our" prince and some of the other carpathians. I am still a big fan of this book. If I could I would give it four and a half stars. I am very much looking forward to Feehan's next Dark novel--Dark Celebration.

I'm beginning to think Freehan has this outline for all her Dark series. I. Introduce Character

A. Unlucky in love

B. Childhood problems

II. They meet

A. Couple doesn't like eacher

B. They are in lust with each other

etc., etc.

She simply changes the names and the place, and yet, for some strange reason I keep buying the books. I think I'm addicted to the he-man. Where have all the old gallant, strong, good looking men gone? Oh well. I gave her three stars for the men alone and took away two for following the same old format, yet again.

Basically, the herione of the story is part Carpathian and a vampire hunter as well. The other part? Mage. Vik is tracking her after seeing a picture of her and finding out Vampires are after her--by the droves. (This was pointed out in previous books, I think two of them.) He joins in the fight she's having with two vampires and she tears up his back with her tiger claws before she realizes he's a good guy, and cute to boot. They join forces. Basically, same concept as all her other books. The reader does find out who is getting all the vampires to join forces, which is an added bonus, but it's easy to guess after only the first few chapters.

I've read most of Christine Feehan's Dark Series, and enjoyed them overall.

This book was no different.

What I didn't like:

Now again, I've read and enjoyed most of Feehan's books, but yes, the basic plot line, character presentation and dialogue does get repetitive. The differences are very subtle at times... too subtle.

I didn't like the way Vikirnoff treated Mikhail in the beginning...as if he [Mikhail] was a child needing a babysitter. How annoying! Which again made the ending fantastic. (No worries, I won't tell)

I could've done without the Carpathian language at the end. I would've preferred a preview of Dark Celebration, her new book soon to come out. (That's just me though)

What I liked:

I liked Natayla's abilities. The lady had Carpathian and mage blood in her, and that was awesome. Her magic made her a formidable opponent, and her fighting abilities were on a par with Vikirnoff's. She was strong, independent, and very skilled in her powers and abilities. She was Vikirnoff's equal in every way. Yes, she did tend to be slightly annoying at times (resisting the idea of being lifemates in the beginning to the point of extreme annoyance as all the female leads do at times) but overall I enjoyed her. Oh, one definite plus was her jealousy and seeing how she reacted at other women being near her man. That was funny and endearing, considering the men are always seen as the jealous type. Women can get jealous too!

I loved, absolutely loved, seeing the other characters from Feehan's previous stories in this book, especially Mikhail, Raven and Gregori.

The action scenes-this seemed to bother many people, but I loved them, especially the last action scene where...all right I won't give it away. Personally, I think Feehan has too many sex scenes, which can quickly become tiresome so I'm usually happy to get back to the dialogue/action scenes.

And the new introduction of characters like wizards and dragons, and others (who may not have been new but I hadn't read their stories) were all very nice. All the new details helped give more information about the Carpathians and the world they lived in.

Overall

I liked the book. I liked the wizards, the dragons, the new characters and enemies, the action scenes and the reappearance of old characters. The two lovers weren't as engaging to me as some of the others from Feehan's stories, but they did all right.

I was so excited to read Vikirnoffs story. The first part of the book where they met was wonderful but even there something was missing in the Romance department. I have read all Feehans Carpathian books and they have changed and gone away from Romance into fighting. I thought the fights would never end page after page of slogging thru fighting vampires with no romance. Then the sex felt like it was something Feehan felt like she had to throw in there. No imagination and I felt like there wasn't really any love between the characters. I think Feehan has lost her knack for Romance and is heading towards Sci Fi and it is too bad. I never felt like she explored even half the potential she had in a character like Vikirnoff. I am giving this a 4 because I love the Dark Series and was so happy to see Michael and Gregori briefly. I doubt if this one will get read over and over like some of the others. This book was a wonderful Promise that is not fully fulfilled.

I did think the fight scenes got completely out of control. It seemed like the whole book was getting ready for a fight scene, being in the middle of a fight scene, or recovering from a fight scene. If you skipped the fight scenes, there would only be about a hundred pages of story. However, I did like Vikirnoff and Natalya (I'm glad that there is finally a strong female in the series) and I thought there love story was good. There were lots of funny parts, like the flame thrower and the the constant references to horror movies. I wish she would have focused a little more on their relationships. Also, although I love cameo's from past Carpathians, it seemed like the last battle was alittle excessive. There were like fifty people running around in those woods. I did find the parts about the caves and the dragons and the mysterious girl interesting, though.

I've read every book Mrs. Feehan has ever written. Dark Demon is different from her other books in some ways. We still have the Carpathian world that we love, but she has added more paranormal elements into the mix.

I love how each Dark book stands on its own. I don't want to read the same book but with different character names and Dark Demon is definately original. I love the growth in the Carpathian legend. I love how this series has evolved. It promises to give you all the passion we've grown to expect from Feehan books, but it also makes you wonder, "what will happen next".

Definately a 5 star book.

This is one of my favorite Carpathian novels. Natalya is the strongest heroine yet, and Vikirnoff if priceless. This novel employs a great deal of Feehan's sense of humor. The picutre of the male in the book is NOT my picture of Vikirnoff...first, because he has blue eyes...and we all know that male Carpathians (with the exceptions of Julian and Aiden) have brown eyes, and Vikirnoff has much, much longer hair...but also because Vikirnoff is much more intimidating. I truly enjoyed a strong heroine who is not totally overpowered by her Carpathian mate. If you enjoy Carpathians, I encourage you to read the story of Natalya and Vikirnoff.

This is now one of my favorites of the Carpathian series. I love that Vik and Natalya were a team throughout the novel. Ms. Feehan's ability to pull you into the tale in the first chapter is a testament to her skill as a writer. This novel was definitely not a sappy romance novel. It was more action sci fi meets romance and I loved it. If you are looking for more of a romance then this book probably won't do it for you although there are some hot love scenes between the two main characters. Continuing the story of the Dragonseeker clan was an incentive for me to read the book as I love a little fantasy thrown into a good story. At times it was hard to keep tabs on some of the action and I had to read the chapter again. It does help to have read the other books to understand some of the plot. I would like to see a book about Dominic as he has been mentioned in two books. Ms. Feehan has a great imagination. Her next Carpathian book - Dark Celebration should keep me enthralled for a few hours.

I loved it. Natalya gives her Carpathian lifemate a run for his money.. She not only is a warrior in her own right she will take nothing less then being a equal partner in this relationship.

Vikirnoff cant believe he's lifemate is what he thought she should be..She fights at his side will not lesson to reason and to his amazement he likes it...

Still not sure she can trust this Carpathian male, because she believes a Carpathian killed her brother. She cannot help her attraction to him, and to make matters worse something she cannot fight or sense is after her. So together they set out to fight this evil and discover they are not just fighting to save her, but also the life of Mikhail Dubrinsky the Carpathian Prince.

A must read do not miss it.

This whole series has me addicted to them and never wanting to put the books down. I really liked this book and as usual it did focus around the two lifemates but they brought in the third elements of problems with an evil wizard and her brother. The story line never goes slow and keeps your attention held and always wanting more. You can feel and experience what the characters are going through. I just cannot get enough of these books and soon will hit the end. Definitely recommend this and the whole series for reading.

I've read every book Mrs. Feehan has ever written. Dark Demon is different from her other books in some ways. We still have the Carpathian world that we love, but she has added more paranormal elements into the mix.

I love how each Dark book stands on its own. I don't want to read the same book but with different character names and Dark Demon is definately original. I love the growth in the Carpathian legend. I love how this series has evolved. It promises to give you all the passion we've grown to expect from Feehan books, but it also makes you wonder, "what will happen next".

Definately a 5 star book.

This is one of my favorite Carpathian novels. Natalya is the strongest heroine yet, and Vikirnoff if priceless. This novel employs a great deal of Feehan's sense of humor. The picutre of the male in the book is NOT my picture of Vikirnoff...first, because he has blue eyes...and we all know that male Carpathians (with the exceptions of Julian and Aiden) have brown eyes, and Vikirnoff has much, much longer hair...but also because Vikirnoff is much more intimidating. I truly enjoyed a strong heroine who is not totally overpowered by her Carpathian mate. If you enjoy Carpathians, I encourage you to read the story of Natalya and Vikirnoff.

This is now one of my favorites of the Carpathian series. I love that Vik and Natalya were a team throughout the novel. Ms. Feehan's ability to pull you into the tale in the first chapter is a testament to her skill as a writer. This novel was definitely not a sappy romance novel. It was more action sci fi meets romance and I loved it. If you are looking for more of a romance then this book probably won't do it for you although there are some hot love scenes between the two main characters. Continuing the story of the Dragonseeker clan was an incentive for me to read the book as I love a little fantasy thrown into a good story. At times it was hard to keep tabs on some of the action and I had to read the chapter again. It does help to have read the other books to understand some of the plot. I would like to see a book about Dominic as he has been mentioned in two books. Ms. Feehan has a great imagination. Her next Carpathian book - Dark Celebration should keep me enthralled for a few hours.

I loved it. Natalya gives her Carpathian lifemate a run for his money.. She not only is a warrior in her own right she will take nothing less then being a equal partner in this relationship.

Vikirnoff cant believe he's lifemate is what he thought she should be..She fights at his side will not lesson to reason and to his amazement he likes it...

Still not sure she can trust this Carpathian male, because she believes a Carpathian killed her brother. She cannot help her attraction to him, and to make matters worse something she cannot fight or sense is after her. So together they set out to fight this evil and discover they are not just fighting to save her, but also the life of Mikhail Dubrinsky the Carpathian Prince.

A must read do not miss it.

This whole series has me addicted to them and never wanting to put the books down. I really liked this book and as usual it did focus around the two lifemates but they brought in the third elements of problems with an evil wizard and her brother. The story line never goes slow and keeps your attention held and always wanting more. You can feel and experience what the characters are going through. I just cannot get enough of these books and soon will hit the end. Definitely recommend this and the whole series for reading.

I have waited long for the next installment of the Dark Series, So after obtaining my copy I settled down to be entertained. As with the other books in the series, I treat each book as a continuing saga or a look into the lives of Carpathenians. Each one has a story to tell, a lifemate to find, and a wish to find love, satisfaction and in some cases, peace. In this book, we pick up on Vik's story. After trailing Natalya across continents, he has finally tracked her to his homeland. And here the dance begins. This book for me was as entertaining as the last. No two personalities (hunters) (lifemates) are alike. Each hunter shares a common thread, (their needing to find their lifemate to remain living). Each hunter and lifemate are persons who have to face many obstacles. THey face constant struggles, dangers and problems, as in any relationship. For me this look into their world is a welcome change from my reality. There are battles, ambushes, betrayals, new discoveries, powerplays and reunions. The powerplays were obvious, they have been building up to this from other Dark stories. But, I have a question, where are the Carpathinans who still reside in their homeland? Surely others should have been available to join in the fighting and to protect their prince. I would like to know how many Carpathenians are still living. I hope the next installment "Dark Reunion" will give us their numbers. and delve more deeply into their past. I can't wait until September.

I have read Christine Feehan from her first "Dark" book. I liked the 'mind candy' style, and found the book easy to read without using many, if any, brain cells.

I was put off by the repetitive sex scenes, and was hoping for more original ones in the future books. In the first few, and continuing to the last one, the Carpathian males always have a 'pet name' for their female counterparts. They are always demanding, always overpowering, and always extremely dominate. There is always a force trying to kill or keep them apart, and only after the big strong guy saves the lady in distress, is she even remotely interested in him. Typical, (not interested) romance. The part I enjoyed was the unique Carpathian vampire. Still stereotypical romantic style, but there was a bit of a story to go with the romance. Her books do lend itself to the 'World of Darkness' style of vampire, (the increasing age of the Carpathian causes more and more derangements, losing color, losing touch with humanity, etc) but all in all, palatable mind candy.

There has been some variation on the theme, but pretty much throughout, there has been those key elements. The dialog is repetitive in each book.

Wait.. I am `dissing' the series, right? but I gave this one 4 stars? HUH?

Well, this last one has the same key elements, but I feel a bit more of a spark. In the older books, I would read one sex scene and skip the rest, waiting for the story to start up again. In this book, the sex seemed slightly more appropriate (but who has sex right after a serious battle?)

The battle scenes more fun, and not rushed! (to get back to sex?!?!) It seems the characters are not 'alive', but this book, the characters have a bit more 'unlife' to them. I enjoyed the stronger female character, and the stronger storyline. I wonder if Feehan's editor is new...or maybe if there is someone else actually 'writing' this one? Maybe Feehan's skills are improving? I felt a bit of drama and even a slight 'cliffhanger' effect to certain parts.

I liked the `language' element. It makes me think someone is trying to put more thought into the books. I hate books that are thrown together, just because it's `romantic' does not mean it has to be crap!

I do know that the 'buffy the vampire slayer', Sookie Stackhouse and Anita Blake characters are now popular, so maybe Feehan is just trying to attract those readers...

This is the first time I have ever admitted that I like these books, and I hope her writing improves and the tired boring wooden dialog improves too. Good effort Ms. Feehan. I'll give ya 4 stars for effort. Improve the dialog, and you'll get a 5!

Christine Feehan is an aquired taste. If you can't wrap your mind around her Carpathians, you'll hate her. But like those who like wine know, sometimes there is a vintage that you just can't pass up--for me, this is my author. She can combine romance (and not the "oh-gag-me" Madeline Baker "he's perfect-she's perfect kind) and danger to create action-packed, intellegent, magical text that grips the reader until they pass from the plot to exhaustion. I literally NEVER set her books down until they are finished.

As to this novel in and of itself: The characters held a depth that suprised me because I didn't realize how deep into their heads I really got until the end of the novel when I started predicting what they might do. (I even got SOME of it right!) If you like a good mystery this holds a bit of "who-done-it" and the suprise is WONDERFULLY wicked! I didn't feel any lag, unlike the other readers, but this is a bit longer than her other novels and with the addition of the language and lore, it is a mature readers dream. I would however recommend reading at least three or four of the others in the series before this book--it draws heavily on previous knowledge and she didn't bother to try explaining all that again (kudos, I think, because it IS a series!).

All that said: The creation of a new language for me was a bit much. I liked not knowing. I liked it being just for the characters to know--after all, I'm HUMAN! But as those who learned Klingon and whatever Tolkin created...I'll probably be learning some of this if she continues writing these wonderful novels. But don't worry too much, you don't have to learn it to read this book, but it's there if you want it!

Yes. This heroine was a fitting mate for my Virkinoff! I really liked him. My one concern is why his brother never connected with him when they were in danger. In Nicolae's book, Virkinoff was very much present and helpful. I just did not understand why there were no mind merges or mind reading between the two brothers.

I have read EVERY one of the Carpathian Series books which I think were absolutely, positively electrifying and sensually erotic. This book, however, falls dead last. I can't really put my finger on the reason. Perhaps I was bored with the many fight scenes with hundreds of vampire clones. Or, maybe I wanted more chemistry between Natalya and Vikirnoff. Maybe their sex scenes were not as dramatic as those in previous books. I rarely, if ever, skip over parts of a book, especially the romantic scenes. This time, I did skip many parts of the book. I'm a big fan, and I raved about her last Carpathian novel. Perhaps Feehan was trying to do something different this time by placing a great deal of the book's focus on Natalya, the "kick-ass" heroine. Whatever the case may be, it is with regret that I must say that for the first time, I feel Feehan missed the mark here.