Dark Desire: A Carpathian Novel (Dark Series)

Christine Feehan's Carpathian world is deeply and yet darkly romantic. The arrogance aside, her characters have deep emotions and struggle to do what's right. Without any spoilers... this book hits its mark and is romantic and suspenseful.

Fabulous. She is a scientist and cannot explain who or why she fell ill and now suffers from a blood disorder. When she is attacked by people claiming to be hunters and told she is a hunter and has to die. She manages to escape and flee. He has been imprisoned and tortured for years, now at the end of his life he can suddenly feel new hope surging through him. Will they meet? Will he survive? Will she? An absolutely fantastic read about another race who need blood to survive. They also need their soul mate or they turn to the dark and start killing indiscriminately as a vampire. Wonderful plot, terrific characters - what more do you need. I have the hard copy that I bought when this first came out, unfortunately all my re-creating has meant that it is now falling apart and so had to get a new copy.

Sorry but I HAVE to write this. ..on the low reviews and I know there aren't many compared to the great reviews BUT...are the people leaving the lower reviews not understanding what they are reading? ? She states in her writing SEVERAL times that the Carpathian males are very over protective and sometimes domineering but only because they love these women they each have waited centuries for and so much danger surrounds the Carpathian people and if the lifemate dies they might as well be dead also ...she also writes that they ARE changing for these modern women and learning that times are VERY different and to love them is to partner with them NOT demand the little women to do as she is told ...she also writes that sometimes it is difficult for them to change (as it is for anyone) but they have come a long way and are working on it ...lastly may I just say that these wonderful books are FANTASY. ..meant to take you away from reality for just a bit ...if you suspend the real world in your mind and jump into the books they are an amazing way to live in a fantasy world for a short time ...so relax ..go to your pretend place like when you were young and ENJOY !!!! If you don't want to suspend the real world for a book then read history or autobiographies or how to cook. ..but for me fantasy is how I relax and disappear just for a short time .BRAVO CHRISTINE FEEHAN...YOUR WRITING IS AMAZING AWESOMENESS. ..sorry about the soapbox ..just my opinion but I had to put it out there !! Thank you for my relaxation fix!!

3.5-4 stars

This was a pretty good story. Shae and Jacques made a good couple and their story was enjoyable.

Shea is a very skilled doctor and she's focused her talents on finding the cure to a rare blood disease she inherited from her father. Shea has never met her father as he disappeared before she was born. This led to an unfortunate childhood for Shea because her mother lost touch with reality without her love and barely took care of Shea. Because of this, Shea swore to never to become involved with a man to the point where she loses herself.

Jacques is a Carpathian male who is the brother to the Carpathian leader, Mikhail (from book #1, Dark Prince). Carpathians are born vampires with other abilities like shape shifting (to any form, even mist), magic spells and psychic powers. The males of the Carpathians have a darkness in them and if they don't find their lifemates, they can lose their souls and become evil. Jacques was captured by vampire hunters 7 years ago and was tortured and then buried alive. Unfortunately, this left him a bit mad with vengeance being his only focus.

Shea was a child prodigy and was a very skilled surgeon but she had to flee her life when vampire hunters started hunting her. Shea is convinced that she just has a rare blood condition that she inherited from her father and she's determined to find the cure to save herself and others like her. She ends up in the Carpathian mountains because her mother's diary indicated that Shea's father was from the area. Around 7 years ago, Shea was touched by the mind of another but never thought it was real. When she moved to the Carpathian mountains, the contact became stronger and one night, she found herself wandering through the woods until she finds a ruins. Shea finds Jacques in the ruins and thinks he's dead at first but soon realizes she's wrong. Jacques is drained of blood and half mad so he attacks her, thinking she's one of his tormentors.

Shea is freaked out by Jacques but she feels a deep seated need to help him. Because of her own blood disease, she doesn't think she'll live long so she's not too worried about dying at Jacques's hands. TBH, the early relationship between Jacques and Shea isn't exactly pretty...it takes a while for Jacques to gain sanity and Shea has it rough while he gets better. She doesn't leave him though...at least until he's better and she's starting to feel the pull to him. Shea quickly realizes that she could lose herself to Jacques the way her mother was lost to her father. Because of this, Shea tries to hold back from Jacques (which obviously doesn't work). They meet up with some of the characters from the previous book and Jacques begins to gain back his memories as well as his sanity but there are issues to overcome, mainly the vampire hunters and a real vampire that is helping the hunters. Thankfully, everyone comes through the drama and danger alright and Jacques and Shea end the story starting a HEA together.

This was a pretty enjoyable story. I liked Shea but she did have her issues...nothing too terrible but just enough for me to wonder why she has to cling to the past as if it's a fact that her future will be the same. Jacques...well he was kind of crazy at first and I wasn't too thrilled about his treatment of Shea. After his head started doing better I liked him much more and thought he was a pretty good hero. The story was good and had plenty of stuff going on to keep things interesting so overall, I liked it well enough that I'd recommend this book.

* note - I listened to the audio version of this book that is done by Books In Motion and the narrator was Juanita Parker. Parker did a good job but the audio files weren't the greatest quality. I'm not sure if the quality issue is because the audio files were degraded and it took down the quality or if it was due to something else.

I know this is a very popular book and there is a ton of good reviews, that is why I bought it. But this is the exact opposite, this isn't meant to make anyone upset because there is a ton of fans to this series, I am not one of them and this is my honest review of how I feel about the book. The first book I couldn't stand the overpowering, domineering lead guy, and the way she was just so ok well guess I'll accept everything because he gave me no choice. I was so hoping this one was different and sadly was disappointed. The guys in this series (so far) are just over dominate and too controlling for me. Some people probably didn't take it the way, I did, and that is fine. I just like books with a strong female not one who just gives in and in the end they would put up a 5 second fight before giving in IMO. And all the guys just throw there "will" on the women and expect them to obey. And this is the second book where they did the blood thing to connect them without even mentioning it to the woman thereby taking away her free will. It just made me angry and the whole blood mind reading can't have one second of privacy thing just turned me off. I want to be alone in my head, I really don't want my husband to be in my head or me in his. While I am not saying don't read these books or series by all means read the other reviews you may like it and may have interpreted it in a different way than me, but these books infuriated me to no end and frustrated the hell out of me and I just wanted to add my two sense. I will add too that her writing style is great and she has a way of drawing you in to the story. But I just didn't like the types of relationships in the story.

I love this book. I think I love it even more than I do Dark Prince. I have no problems with this book. Shea had the common sense that Raven seemed to be lacking or maybe that was because her love interest was recovering for half of the book.

I feel like this story had everything a reader looks for in a great book; action, mystery, psychological issues, tension, emotions, romance.

I loved that the author explained what happened in the beginning, letting the readers live through it instead of just telling the audience through flashbacks . I think it really helps the readers to understand the hero and really hope for his recovery.

Not a boring spot to be found in this story, everywhere you look there’s something going on. Even when there was no danger and it was just the couple together, there would be something to spice it up.

I also loved that the author brought in the others, especially Gregori. Now you’ll have to endure a little fan-girling about this particular character.

Even though his book isn’t until later, seeing Gregori really gets the readers connected to him, they just hope he gets his story. I know from experience because a friend of mine is borrowing these books from me and she was very anxious about him.

These books are really a lesson in not judging these creatures by human standards.

I've read almost all the books in the 'Dark' Series with the exception of 3 (Dark Prince, Dark Symphony and Dark Melody). Once I discovered Christine Feehan's Carpathian books I began devouring them. I recommend reading the books in sequence, but if you happen upon her books (like I did) then don't worry if you decide to start out of order. Ms. Feehan does an excellent job by providing a genealogy of the characters in each book and she includes appendices that help understand the background of a particular species, people or race. Dark Desire wasn't my favorite but it was well written like all the other 'Dark' books. Perhaps I found it hard to like Jacques at times because of his 'roughness' but I understood why he was that way. And at times I wished the female was a little more street saavy and had better protective skills physically. And as a side note, this was the one time I didn't like the Prince of the Carpathian race. It was the only time he seemed callous in his treatment of a woman. Enough said because I don't want to give anything away for those who are just starting the series. Mid way I grew to like both characters and their story. I couldn't give it a 5 because I didn't like how Shea was treated by Jacques or the Prince in the beginning of the story but it definitely gets a 4 rating.

Jacques, a vampire like creature known as a Carpathian, has been buried alive for seven years. With the ability to slow down his heart and lungs to a death like state, he survives. His single focus, while locked away in a dark grave, is to get revenge on those who betrayed and limprisoned him leaving a wooden stake near his heart. At the appointed time, Jacques gains entrance into the mind of a woman whom he believes betrayed him. The woman is Shea O'Halloren. Summoned by Jacques, She discovers his burial site, unearths it and releases him from the grave. More animal like than human, Jacques grabs Shea and tears into her throat drinking her blood but not to the point of death and so the story begins.
This story gets your attention with an account of Jacques' capture and existence in the grave. Knowing that his release is inevitable kept me reading at a rapid pace. By t he end I felt tired. I wanted to like this book more and give it a higher rating but there was no emotional connection to any of the characters and there are no memorable passages to reread over and over again. This is just one book in the Dark Series of over twenty books. With so many books, it has to get better.

Feehan has does it again!! This was a perfect blend of excitement, romance and suspense. The details in every aspect of this book are outstanding! I enjoyed the chemistry between the two and how it played out among the lesser characters. All the characters are well developed and I enjoyed the development of their romance. I couldn't put it down and finished it in one day.

For 7 long years he has reached across the miles to find her. Slowly going insane from the pain and torture. Shea becomes his entire world. The only reality as he continues to spiral into madness.

Shae, a brilliant surgeon and researcher, knows she is dying. With time running out, an fanatic group is looking to find her to study and disect her Shae stumbles upon the body of a man buried win a box enclosed in a celler of a burned out cabin. She recognises the face of the man who has tormented her dreams for years and that the man died a slow agonizing death. As her heart breaks for the pain
he must ha suffered the eyes open and a hand clutches her to keep her from running away. There is madness in the eyes, but also there is a hatred directed at her.

Christine Feehan once again brings us into the lives of the Carpathian people. Their loyalty is absolute but so is their sense of justice that they deliver quickly and without hesitation. Are the Carpathian people friend or foe choose for yourself before they decide for you.

A great book to be read on its own, but even better if you read it order. Book one "Dark Prince" tells of our hero before his torcher as a supporting character, but enough is mentioned in "Dark Desire" so that if you don't want to or don't want to read book one you don't have to. That doesn't mean you won' be craving more about Christine Feehan's Carpathians as the end of "Dark Desire" draws near. Might I suggest book 3 "Dark Gold".

"Dark Desire" is the 2nd book in Christine Feehan's Carpathian series. It picks up roughly 20-25 years after the events of "Dark Prince (The Carpathians (Dark) Series, Book 1)." And this installment centers on Mikhail's brother Jacques.

A quick review of the mythology of the series: There's an ancient race of people who hail from the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. They drink blood; they can shapeshift and speak telepathically; they can't go in the sun. And after about 200 years, the men lose their emotions and their ability to see in color. That is, until they find the other half of their souls... their lifemates. Over time, living without a lifemate leaves a Carpathian man with two choices: ending his life or turning into a vampire, an evil being who lives to torment and kills his victims.

So, at the beginning of our story, poor Jacques has been kidnapped and tortured by some vampire hunters. Ironically, their strings are being pulled by a real vampire, and they are targeting the good Carpathians. Anyway, Jacques is tortured within an inch of his life, and is then buried alive in a coffin, where he suffers for seven years. During that time, his mind reaches out to Shea, the lifemate he has never met.

By the time seven years are done, Jacques is just about crazy. He doesn't remember who he is. And Shea is the only thing he knows, beyond his hate and quest for vengeance. He lures Shea from the US to Romania to free him. In all the years he had been making contact with her, Shea didn't even believe he was real... until she found him.

Once she comes to his gravesite, Shea frees Jacques and tries to heal him. (She is a doctor.) But he ravages her and takes her blood. In fact, he goes on to perform the requisite 3 blood transfers required to turn a human into a Carpathian. Despite his brutality and his serious mental and physical problems, Shea feels connected with Jacques. She reveals that even before the conversion, she was different from most humans. It turns out her father, Rand, was Carpathian. She never knew him. In fact, he left her mother before she was ever born and the loss of him drove her mom crazy. Shea grew up basically alone and had to deal with her physical differences on her own.

Jacques' madness is very sad, since we knew him as a sweet and easygoing guy in "Dark Prince." And it's wonderful to see Mikhail, Gregori, and others as they find the man they thought long dead. I could do without some of that Carpathian he-man pushiness, but I've learned that is par for the course with heroes in this series.

There's plenty of action as the vampire hunters search for Shea and the other Carpathians. The love scenes are hot, and fortunately, not quite so flowery as in the previous book. And it's high drama when the identity of the vampire is finally revealed.

A great chapter in the Carpathian series. 4 1/2 stars.

3.25stars - We are not vampires, we are Carpathian!

I really like the conceit of this series that the Carpathian's aren't "vampires" (they are pre-vampires if you will) that must find their mates before they fade from existence. I also find the characteristic of being able to immediately see in color when they their mates a charming tool. None of those pesky "Is she the one for me?" questions for these guys.
The writing is a bit formal and there were quite a few instances that were repeated both here and in book (not just mentioned in both books - repeated in both books), but there were engaging story elements nonetheless. This one definitely was darker as the hunters and vampires were more involved and critical to the storyline. Generally, I like more action in my PNR and the interaction level of the main characters, in this case Jacques & Shea, was fine. I don't particularly care for the "telepathy across the miles" way of meeting our star couple and hope there is some variation going forward. So for me it's a mixed bag and makes it a little difficult to decide on a rating for this book.

That being said, after the first few chapters I was committed to the story. I also thought the villain of the piece was well thought out and diabolical enough for the antics going on.

I'm not yet committed to this series but am willing to try the next book. As this series has a large number of books I can only hope going forward the books will be more to my liking.

In this second book in the Dark Series, we see what happened twenty-five years after the first human female has been turned into Carpathian. Although you wouldn't be lost in the plot if you haven't read DARK PRINCE, I think reading it first would provide a richer understanding of the Carpathian world.

Betrayed by his own kind, Jacques Dubrinsky suffers extreme torture in the hands of fanatical vampire hunters who are out to destroy them. Maddened by the pain and sufferings they inflicted on him, and thinking that his friends and family have deliberately abandoned him, Jacques is now a shadow of his former self, with hardly any memory of the past. His only companion in the darkness is a woman who shared his mind.

Shea O'Halloran is a brilliant doctor with a psychic gift. When she inadvertently connects with Jacques, she is since haunted by his image. And when she once again finds herself running away from those fanatics who accuse her of being a vampire, she finds herself in the Carpathian Mountains unaware that her subconscious has responded to Jacques' call. When she finally finds him, the healer and savior in her feels compelled to nurse him back to recovery.

Because Shea thought that Jacques shares her rare blood disorder, unaware that there is more to their connection, she never gave much thought about how he managed to survive all these years. But as Jacques slowly regains his power, the beast in him grows stronger and more dangerous. And while he still cannot piece the puzzle of his past together, he is certain of one thing - the need to protect his lifemate who is the lightness to his darkness.

DARK DESIRE is a great follow up to the first book. It is as captivating and sensual although the violence is a little bit more graphic. I found that this is also more humorous than the first one and the witty exchanges between Mikhail and Gregory are funny. I laughed so much on the part when Mikhail tells Gregori that Shea obviously had brains after telling Gregori that she thinks he looks like an ax murderer. Another part is when Gregori says Mikhail looks as reassuring as a Bengal tiger, to which Mikhail answers "Oh, and you look like a bunny rabbit".

Although there are some scenes that lagged a bit, this is a well-written story and the reference to Aidan and Gregori sets up the pace for the next two books. I enjoyed reading this and I am now truly hooked and can't wait to start the next book, which is DARK GOLD.

Dark Desire is Christine Feehan's second novel in the marvelous Dark series, and it is even more intense than the first.
Jacques has been a powerful protector of his people, the Carpathians of Eastern Europe, for hundreds of years. He uses his enormous supernatural mental and physical powers to hunt and destroy vampires and to protect the weak. However, his abilities to see colors and to feel emotions have withered. He's trapped in a bleak, solitary existence, for he has not found his lifemate-the one female who is the other half of his soul, the light to his darkness. His predatory instincts have intensified, and his darkness threatens to overwhelm him so that he is close to turning into a vampire. He must find his mate soon.
To make matters worse, evil human vampire hunters are convinced he is a vampire. With the help of a mysterious vampire who hates Jacques, the humans catch and torture Jacques mercilessly, driving a stake near his heart and burying him alive. Jacques manages to live on for seven years, attracting small animals into his coffin and drinking their blood for sustenance. His hatred of his torturers and his need for revenge are a growing cancer in his soul that keeps him alive.
During this time Jacques is mentally aware of a human woman, a doctor whom he thinks is linked to the group that tortured him. In his extreme state of weakness, she is the only person left that he can contact through his mind. He often inflicts his pain on her, enraged that she refuses to come free him-seeing this as evidence of her guilt.
Shea O'Halloran is a gifted American surgeon, full of goodness and compassion for her patients. She is puzzled as to why she is sometimes seized with pain and often has dreams in which she sees a man's tortured face. She has always been a loner, afraid of contact with others because of the bizarre blood disorder she has been unable to identify or cure. She often requires transfusions to stay alive. She decides to go the Carpathian mountains, the birthplace of the father she never knew, in order to further her research in the hope of finding a cure for her condition.
Instead, she is drawn to a hidden cellar where she finds Jacques buried! Although he attacks her, she rescues him and nurses him back to health. Jacques comes to realize that she is not one of his tormentors but the lifemate he'd been searching for over centuries. He possessively burns for her and can barely prevent himself from claiming her, body and soul, against her will.
Shea is horrified to feel such a strong pull to Jacques. And not only because he's lost all memory of his life prior to his burial and is violent and unpredictable. Mostly she fears ever to love or to need anyone. For the intensity with which her own mother obsessed over Shea's absent father led her to be a terrible mother and finally to commit suicide.
Shea and Jacques are forced to deal not only with the tremendous electric sensuality and fear between them but also with others appearing in their lives who may or may not be vampires. And the danger that Jacques-who is now more beast than man-will kill them or Shea is ever present. As Jacques begins to remember his past and to heal both physically and emotionally, his skills are taxed to the limit, as are Shea's.
Dark Desire is a wild, scary and immensely sensual ride that grows ever more intense as danger mounts and Shea and Jacques grow to fervently love each other. I didn't mind that the mysterious villain is easy to guess because the action and emotion are so intense that every page is a thoroughly entertaining adventure.

I've only read one of Feehan's books before, _Dark Magic_, and I didn't really like it. The hero, Gregori, was domineering to a fault, the heroine was a bit of an idiot, and the writing was repetitive. In spite of my feelings about that book, I decided to try Feehan's immensely popular series again. This time, I somehow managed to pick a book a little more to my tastes. In this book, Shea O'Halloran, a young doctor, has been having dreams about a man in terrible pain. She goes to the Carpathian Mountains, the land of her birth, in order to escape men who seem to believe that she is a vampire. While there, Shea finds the man from her dreams, who at first attacks her out of a mistaken belief that she is the cause of his pain. Shea tries to heal this man, Jacques, and, in spite of herself, she begins to fall in love with him. Jacques believes that she is his lifemate, the only one who can keep the madness within him at bay. He would stop at nothing to protect her from the men who want to hurt her and the vampire who wants to claim her as his own, the same vampire who betrayed him (Jacques). For those of you familiar with the series, this book also has Mikhail, Raven, Gregori, and Byron (who I'm including in this list, although I'm not sure if he's ever in another book).
Because of my previous experience with this series, I was a little wary about reading this book, but, for me, this book was a whole lot better than _Dark Magic_. Jacques is domineering, yes, but Shea can, for the most part, hold her own against him, since his will often seems to turn to putty around her. I really enjoyed the story itself, even though the human villain characters were once again like cardboard cutouts of Badness. The writing seemed less repetitive than in _Dark Magic_, where references to the main characters often involved the use of the same words, over and over again. Shea was in some serious denial, though - it seemed like it took her forever to realize that Jacques was not just a man with a serious blood disorder, even though he drank glasses of blood and survived for years with a stake through his chest. Still, this book was pretty enjoyable, and I think I'll try to find more books in this series that I can like as much, or more, than this one.

I realize that many others have different favorites among the Dark books. In terms of a feisty heroine (one who actually stands up to the hero), DARK GUARDIAN is much better. In terms of a truly tortured (mentally) hero who becomes a passionate lover, some prefer DARK MAGIC. I however consider this story - that of Jacques (younger brother of Mikhail, in DARK PRINCE) and a half-human half-Carpathian doctor Shea - to be the best in the ouevre.
This is an unusual book in more ways than one. The heroine's identity - that her father is Carpathian and her mother a human (who was *not* converted) - is one. Shea is also a very gifted doctor, and of course a psychic human female. One who also needs to drink blood, but cannot bring herself to do so, so she survives with frequent transfusions. The hero is a truly tormented hero, in that we meet him at the very lowest point of his life. He has been tortured and locked into a coffin, where he has somehow survived physically but with his mental powers and his sanity largely gone. [Did I mention that this book in particular is not for the squeamish?]. Shea rescues him from the coffin only to have him turn on her and nearly kill her. Even when he claims her as his lifemate, he is capable of inflicting pain on her - not something that we expect from the usual Carpathian hero. Jacques of course is not in full control of his sanity. And both he and Shea are in serious danger - from a betrayer among the Carpathians and from a group of humans hunting vampires and Carpathians alike.
For those wondering - Carpathians are not vampires. Vampires are Carpathians who have "turned", who have chosen to experience the brief rush of power when they kill rather than destroy themselves when the temptation is great. And the temptation is great indeed. Without a lifemate, male Carpathians lose emotions and their ability to see in color some 200 years into their long lives. Without a lifemate, male Carpathians are in danger of turning. And virtually no female Carpathians are being born. There is quite an imbalance in the sex-ratio, and the entire race seems doomed.
This was not a very easy book to read. There seemed to be less purple prose in it however, and the plot was dramatic enough. I kept wondering if Jacques would ever regain his sanity, if he would also regain the mental link to others of his kind. And I also wondered if Shea would adapt successfully to life as a Carpathian, given her resistance to drinking blood (if only from her lifemate). And for once, the confrontation between the villain of the book and the hero (Jacques) made sense. The villain was not easy to kill for many many reasons, even after his identity had been discovered.<P...P>Rating = 4.6 (A)
Breakdown = romance A- (4.5); characterization A (4.7); plot development A (4.8); writing A- (4.4)

If the whole vampire thing was my cup of tea, this series would definitely have me hooked. The fact that I've read "Dark Prince" and "Dark Desire" comes as a complete surprise to those who know me; so much so that four people started reading this series and are enjoying it.

"Dark Desire" takes off where "Dark Prince" ends. Though "Dark Desire" can stand alone, reading enjoyment is enhanced by having read background information in "Dark Prince."

Jacques Dubrinsky, younger brother to Mikhail Dubrinsky Prince of the Carpathians (Dark Prince) has been captured, tortured, and left for dead. Shea O'Halloran is more than his rescuer and lifemate. She fills in a few misplaced and/or missing puzzle pieces from "Dark Prince"; pieces readers may not have realized existed. Their story is intense, emotional, and builds further on the Carpathian species and existence while setting the stage for future stories. The whole: Carpathians as a different "species" - not human; alpha, primal, shape-shifter that can run as/with wild animals (including wolves and owls); with principal objective & actions center on the need to protect their lifemates and children on a primal or animalistic level. Again, their "alpha" mentality and behavior, may be off-putting to some, bit adds to their wild-animalistic, whole-other-species nature. Failure to view Carpathians as another species and humanize them instead detracts from the uniqueness and creativity involved in creating this whole other species, culture, and way of existence.

This is a wonderful paranormal with drama, feeling, action, explanations, and more questions sure to continue to draw readers further in the Carpathian world.

Jacques Dubrinsky is brother to the Carpathian prince Mikhail. He has been tortured and locked away for years. All but giving up hope, he mysteriously connects with a female mind. He summons her over and over, mentally pushing and punishing her until she finally gives in.

A continent away, Shea O'Halloran hears him. She is a gifted prodigy, a surgeon able to force many patients to live, by the force of her will, while she operates on them. She is hunted by a shadowy group because she has a rare blood disorder. When members of this group find her again, she escapes and flees overseas to the land where her mother met her father.

When she finally finds him, his eyes burn into hers. Jacques has somehow become a part of her, and though he is half insane, the connection between them draws her into his mental struggles for control. Is she his mate, or is she his prey? Although terrified by his ferocity, she does her best to treat him.

Although his memory has been severely damaged, he knows Shea is special. Will he know what to do with her now he that knows she has followed his call from across an ocean?

Great reading! Get ready to dive into the Carpathian world again!

"Dark Desire" by Christine Feehan, the second instalment in the "Dark" series is an utterly captivating and beautifully written tale that far surpasses its already excellent predecessor. I recommend that readers who are new to Feehan's series start with the first instalment, "Dark Prince" which provides the necessary background information on the Carpathian people.
Carpathians are a separate race of people who require blood to survive but never kill the humans they feed on. Carpathians are immensely powerful immortal beings, gifted with telepathy, the ability to shape-shift into any form, and the ability to communicate with and control animals. However, the Carpathian race is dying out. There are very few female Carpathians left and almost all of the babies born are male. After several centuries, if a Carpathian has not found his lifemate, he loses the ability to see in colour and feel emotions. As time passes the temptation becomes greater and greater for the Carpathian to turn into a vampire, the feared creature of folklore, who kills his victims for the rush of feeling the kill provides.
"Dark Desire" begins with the book's hero Jacques in the hands of the merciless and evil vampire hunters. He is endlessly tormented and finally buried alive. In his little slice of hell, Jacques' only link to the outside world is through a woman many miles away in America. He is able to link with her for short periods of time and attempts to call her to him. When she does not respond, he assumes that she is one of the humans who had a part in torturing him, and determines that he will have his revenge.
Shea O'Halloran thinks she is going crazy. She constantly dreams of a frightening man with jet black eyes who seems to be calling out to her. She experiences terrible bouts of unbearable pain, that even she, as a doctor cannot begin to explain. After seven years of these strange occurrences, Shea feels compelled to travel to the Carpathian Mountains, hoping that she will be able to find a cure for the strange blood disorder she suffers from in the land her unknown father came from. A blood disorder that keeps her on the run from a couple of dangerous fanatics convinced that she is a vampire.
When Shea arrives at her destination, she feels a deep connection with the land around her and a sense of rightness that has always eluded her. A strange compulsion leads her out into the forest where she finally comes upon an abandoned and burned down cabin. Inside, buried in the wall, she finds Jacques who bites her savagely thinking that she is the enemy. But Shea feels that she must help this poor, injured man, and manages to transport him to her cabin where she begins to tend his horrific wounds.
As time passes, Jacques realizes what an amazing and compassionate woman Shea is. His fractured mind also knows that this red haired beauty is his lifemate. The relationship between Jacques and Shea is brilliantly rendered. Their struggle to come to terms with each other and themselves is truly affecting, and the love they share is passionate and intense. Jacques' struggle with the beast inside him is vividly drawn. Likewise, Shea's struggle to balance intimacy with her need for independence is incredibly vivid and very realistic.
But while Jacques and Shea try to deal with their emotions, they must also deal with dangers all around them. Jacques must learn to trust his fellow Carpathians again (and it's great to see Mikhail, Raven, and Gregori from "Dark Prince"), because they need to come together to fight the ruthless vampire hunters lead by a powerful vampire who are determined to destroy them all!
"Dark Desire" is a fantastic read that will leave you craving more of the sexy Carpathians. The characters are rich and well developed and the storyline is well thought out and completely fulfilling. I was really impressed by this book, and will certainly be looking for more of Christine Feehan's work. So buy this book today and get ready for an intense, suspenseful, and very sensual read. You will not be disappointed!

The Second Novel in the Dark Series holds up where the first one has left off after years of seclusion Jacques Dubrinsky returns home only to be greeted by "human butchers" and a betrayer. Locked under ground in a coffin for seven years his only companion and anchor from turning into one of the Dark ones that carpathian men fear is the link he has to the mind of human women. Shea O'hallaran can not explain the day of toruture she expereinced but she knows that it is linked to the homeland on the father she has never meet but despises because he is responsible for her mother's death.

Shea is a doctor and is natural healer so she jumps head first into healing Jacques physically, mentally, and emotionally. Jacques can only remember Shea so he has latched on to her even in the presence of his brother, sister in law, and his closest friend. Regardless of the distance that the family has their ultimate goal is to the find the betrayer who has now captured Jacques best friend and has a strong link to Shea.

This is the ultimate story of finding love through baggage.

Shea had always been different from those around her. She needed daily blood infusions and her skin and eyes were very sensitive to the light. She was determined to find a cure to her rare blood disease and pursued a career as a renowned surgeon who could almost perform miracles. Her life grew even stranger when she started having these horrible nightmares about a man who was tortured and buried alive. He kept calling to her in her dreams, alternately begging and demanding that she come to him. When a fanatic group of vampire hunters target her as a member of the undead, Shea is forced to flee. Eventually, she ends up in the Carpathian mountains where a voice calls to her. Almost against her will she finds a cave with a door on the floor. She is horrified to find that the man of her dreams is real and that he has been buried with a stake in his heart for 7 years. Although she knows that he is dangerous, as a doctor she cannot leave another person to suffer so. At first, Jacques believes that Shea helped capture and torture him, but he soon realizes that she is his lifemate, but he cannot remember exactly what a lifemate is. Jacques was captured by an evil vampire, but most of his life before he was entombed is a big blank. Shea sets out to heal him and to make him as whole as possible before she leaves to continue her research. However, her plans go awry when another Carpathian finds her and Jacques and brings the Prince and Gregori to help heal Jacques. How Shea eventually discovers who - and what - she really is and what love is make for a deeply satisfying love story.
I read Dark Desire right after the first book in the Carpathian Series, Dark Prince, and it is quite different from the first book. At first, I didn't really like the characters, but they really grew on me. Jacques is a tortured dark hero who cannot remember anything of his past and is completely reliant on Shea. Shea was a very strong female who was determined to go it alone and prove that she didn't need help from anyone. It was also wonderful to see some of the characters from Dark Prince pop up here, but you do not have to read the first one to understand what is going on in this one. I thought that Christine Feehan did a great job with this story and the time just flew by as I sat down and devoured it in one sitting. If you have not yet experienced the pleasures of Feehan's Dark/Carpathian series, treat yourself - every book is a keeper!

I recently completed the entire Dark series. All of them are wonderful works of fantasy, but my favorite of the group would have to be "Dark Desire". I was swept away by the power of the Carpathian male. I felt for all of these men who longed for their other half. They were so strong but so vulnerable UNTIL they found their partner. When they found their life-mate, they became just a tad overbearing. Don't get me wrong, the protection and authority that these heroes bring to the novel is really the most compelling part of the books, but Jacques's story was different.
Jacques is the younger brother of Mikhail from the "Dark Prince". He had been tortured and left for dead for 7 years. He has been completely isolated with the exception of the brief times that he was able to connect mentally with a young doctor thousands of miles away. Jacques's separation and constant pain have combined to create a mental state that is fragmented at best. His connection to Shea is his tenuous link to sanity. He has forgotten most of his past and must rely on Shea to protect and provide for him until he has recovered. Shea is the first of her kind. Her father was Carpathian and her mother human. She has spent her career focused on finding a cure for the rare blood disorder that she has been suffering from. Shea has been experiencing unexplained bouts of pain and can not explain the link that she has with Jacques. She is compelled to rescue him despite the danger to herself. This is a strong goal-oriented woman who has what it takes to get things done.
The relationship between Jacques and Shea truly demonstrates for me the "life-mate" concept. He brings power and justice to the relationship and Shea provides the knowledge and healing. This is one of the few books in the series so far, where both partners are equally strong and both must respect the other's gifts and limitations. These books are somewhat graphic, and the blood exchanges are not for everyone. I loved this series. I feel connected to ALL of the characters in these books and I am anxiously waiting for their stories.

Whew! I must say that after reading Dark Prince, I could not wait for the next installment of intense passion. Even though I was--and still am--anxiously awaiting Gregori's story, I do not regret reading Jacques and Shea's story. Among other things, I appreciated the way Ms. Feehan set up the beginnings of the relation between Gregori and his future bride.
In Dark Desire, Mikhail's brother Jacques is teetering on the brink of insanity after suffering innumerable wounds, being left for dead, and buried for years. He establishes a telepathic connection with Shea, a human American doctor. Shea doesn't know why she is being followed by mysterious men, but she hears Jacques' call and eventually goes in search of him. She finds this animalistic, riveting "man" and gets him on the way to recovery, but slowly realizes that her relationship with him is getting weirder by the minute. Together, Jacques and Shea must deal with his tenuous grip on reality, her acceptance of Carpathians, their intensely passionate bond, and being hunted by vampire killers.
I loved both leading characters. Shea's scientific outlook makes it believable that she wouldn't totally lose her mind when confronted with the differences between Carpathians and humans, and that she could accept the existence of an entirely new species. The idea that Jacques is so detached from everything around him that Shea is his only reality, and only interest, was immensely seductive to me. His need for her is mental as well as physical, and he has the possessiveness of a caveman. His reactions and motivations are purely primal, which again I found incredibly appealing.
With the Carpathians series, Ms Feehan does a wonderful job of re-introducing readers to the basic, instinctive rapport between male and female. Sensual heat radiates from every chapter, and leaves one lying in bed at night hungering for more.

This is the second installment in Chritine Feehan's Dark series. Jacques is a powerful, Carpathian, an immortal vampire like being. He's been buried alive by vampire hunters. From the Carpathian moutains he calls out with his mind across the oceans to Shea O'Halloran, an American surgeon and his lifemate. Shea has been having vivid dreams in the last few years which lead her to the Carpathian mountains in Eastern Europe where she uncovers Jacques who has been buried alive for the past 7 years. She tries to do her best to revive him, with her surgeon skills and finds herself wildly attracted to him but cannot accept such a strong feeling that she is Jacques lifemate. Jacques and Shea can communicate through their minds and Shea does not know whether she likes Jacques invading her every moment but she feels that she cannot feel when she is cut off from him. Lurking in the background are evil forces, a vampire ie a carpathian who has turned to the dark side, is hunting them and wishes to destroy them. Through all the danger will Shea be strong enough to accept Jacques love and to fight with him against the darker forces.
In this book we are also introduced to other characters such as Jacque's brother, Mikhail and his wife, Raven (their story is featured in Dark Prince the first in the series which I still have to read) and Gregori, the healer who is featured in a later book.
I enjoyed this book. It was very dark and intense. However, I did find there was a lot of repetitiveness when Jacque repeats over and over again about being lifemates with Shea. I'm not sure if I will read the whole series if the others turn out to be a rehash of the same story. Still this book stands well on its own without having read the first one.
Lealing

I picked up Dark Desire as soon as I finished Dark Prince thinking there was no way it could be as good. It surpassed Dark Prince and left me wanting more of the Carpathian men. Thank goodness I had bought all the books the day before and could continue reading this wonderful series.
Jacques Dubrinsky, brother to Michail from Dark Prince, falls into the hands of vampire hunters. Not satisfied with just killing him, they torture him and bury him alive with a stake in his chest. Jacques cries out for help and is heard by Shea O'Halloran, a surgeon in the United States. When she doesn't come to his rescue, he assumes she was a part of the group who hurt him so badly and is consumed by hatred for her. In the meantime, Shea thinks she is losing her mind. She doesn't understand the voice in her head and the pain that doubles her over when he mind links with her. When she is finally compelled to travel thousands of miles to the Carpathian Mountains, she encounters Jacques, who is on the brink of madness. Bewildered that he could still be alive after seven years, she is forced to believe in things her scientific mind can hardly comprehend. Having lived with her own blood disease and on the run from others who knew about it, she believes he is a fellow sufferer and a victim of these same people.
Christine Feehan has created a race of people who are fascinating and very sexy. The men are arrogant and bossy but falling in love with their life mates make them the perfect heroes. I think Christine Feehan must have reached into women's minds and created the men of their fantasies and then added her own special touch. I know she has exceeded any hero I ever created.

Although this book stands on its own, it makes a wonderful sequel to Dark Prince. We saw Jacques selflessly help his brother in the previous novel and are given his story here. I was not expecting the opening to Dark Desire, and the way the story unfolds is gripping. I know it sounds cliché, but I really did not want to put this story down. What an imagination Ms. Feehan has! Following our hero through this torturous part of his life, with the help of his lifemate, keeps the reader enthralled.
A logical doctor, who wants to remain stubbornly independent, Shea can't help but try and heal Jacques. Many things are curious to her when she first encounters him, but she takes everything in stride, trying to rationally explain everything away. She doesn't realize her potential or what exactly she is, but she stubbornly stays by Jacques side, even when everyone else thinks he's "turned" and is crazed. It is hard for Jacques and Shea to know who is friend and who is foe because she doesn't know anyone and Jacques has partially lost his memory (from blocking out the years of pain). It is ultimately her calming influence that saves our hero.
The twist in the plot of who is the "bad guy" is not so hard to figure out, but keeps the story interesting. People pop in and out of the story from the previous book, helping to enhance the plot, while there are others we don't see at all, but are briefly mentioned to remind us that their story will (hopefully) be upcoming. Adian, Julian, Gregory, Byron, Michail and Raven as well as others, flow in and out strengthening their own bonds and their ties to the reader. Happy reading!

Once again Ms. Feehan has come through with a book that yanks a reader into the story. One can see the horror and feel the pain that the hunters cause Jacques. One can also feel the desperation of Shea as she runs away from those hunting her and runs to the Carpathian mountains where he father is from. Her horror at the fact that her "nightmares" had been real ripples through us as we go with her and find Jacques mutilated and raging with hatred.
This book was different from those before it because of the fact that the Jacques mind was shattered and he was practically crossing over when his lifemate found him. He was out of control and abused Shea many times before he realized who she was and what he was doing. When he felt threatened by his brother, Mikhair from "Dark Prince", he did the unthinkable and bit her savagely. It took him a long time to understand who was his friend and that he could trust someone other than Shea. Shea, of course, is battling her own demons in which she is trying to solve the mystery behind her weird blood disorder. Everything falls into place as she discovers that she is truely half human and half carpathian.
This book was a wonderful continuation of the Carpathian series. It was nice reading about Raven, Mikhail, Gregori and Byron from "Dark Prince" and figuring in how this book fit in with the cycle of things.

This book is a classic for a number of reasons. It uses unusual characters, settings, and plot to create a beautiful love story.

The Plot:

Jacques is a member of the Carpathian race, a unique group of people with special mystical abilities. To humans he is seen as evil. He has been captured by human vampire slayers, tortured, and buried alive.

Years pass before Shea, a human doctor with psychic abilities, discovers and rescues Jacques. Through his madness and rage he recognizes her as his lifemate. And she, against all odds, finds herself equally drawn to him.

What Makes It So Good:

Shea is a likable character, and her development throughout the story is both interesting and realistic. Jacques is surprisingly romantic for a mad man. He tries to take care of Shea despite his pain. The story of their love overall is intricate and fascinating.

Anyone who has read Dark Prince, the first book in this series, will really appreciate the return of past characters. They continue to grow and develop.

I highly recommend this series to fans of paranormal romance. In many ways it is the standard by which others are compared.

I really really loved this book. The hurt/comfort in the beginning was perfect; I couldn't imagine that part any better. What could possibly be better than a really hurt, dark, angsty vampire depending on his healer woman for health and mental stability? Loved it. I didn't want that part of the book to end.

I also was completely fascinated by the plot. I love multi-generational stories. The tie-ins to seemingly minor characters in the first book were completely aweseome! I love that the author has created such a rich world of characters.

Despite how very much I love this book, there are still some negatives. I am so sick of the macho male controlling his woman thing. It was much worse in this one than the first one. And all the baby talk is pretty creepy to me, but easily skimmed over.

This book is a must read for any fan of hurt/comfort, vampires, or paranormal romance. If you're into hurt heroes, this book is a must read.

I really enjoyed "Dark Desire," -- it's a good addition to Feehan's "Dark" series. The writing flows smoothly, and the relationship between the characters is well-developed.
Shea and Jacques are different from characters introduced in other installments of this series. I appreciated Shea's struggle with her independence and her rebellion against Carpathian ways. I also appreciated that Jacques relied on her in ways that other Carpathian males in this series did not rely on their lifemates. I appreciated Shea's sharp mind, and I thought Jacques' struggle against his "beast" was well-drawn and interesting.
In contrast to most of the other "Dark" books, the villains in this piece are threatening and well-drawn. They provide what amounts to a much more real threat to the Carpathians, and thus give the plot more tension and more of a drive towards a conclusion. Unfortunately, Feehan doesn't provide enough background on the major villain -- I'd recommend that you read "Dark Prince" before tackling this one, since it provides that background. Also, it seemed like, although the tension was built up well between the main villain and the protagonists, the villain didn't provide much of a threat at the very end, which disappointed me.
All in all, I found this one of the best of the Dark installments.

We first meet Jacques Dubrinsky in Dark Prince as the carefree, fun-loving brother to the Prince. As we open the pages of Dark Desire we see that personality shattered as he is tortured and betrayed by one close to him. The only mind path he has left is to an American, Shea O'Halloran - who let him suffer and refused to help. Now the only reason Jaques continues to live is to make her pay - little does he know she is his lifemate!
Although Dark Prince will always be my favorite, Dark Desire came in a pretty close second. The anguish that Jacques feels and the suffering he endures is so intense, you feel his pain. The connection Shea feels to this tortured soul is unmistakable and from that, their relationship changes and grows.
This was a more intense read than Dark Prince, but just as intriguing. Of course, having Mikhail, Raven, Byron and Gregori throughout the book was an added plus. I was facinated by the plot with its connection to Dark Prince and the ending was absolutely incredible!
Christine Feehan is a unique author and I for one cannot wait until her next installment!

What I liked the most about this book is no element of cheating...

The heroin on the other hand was just what I like.. strong, independent and compassionate!She truly won me over with her determination to aid others in need.

It took me some time to worn up to the hero, but eventually he proved himself to be equal mate to the heroin and I like the element of possessiveness from Jacques and his deep need to have her at all cost! the emotions were raw and exposed...and it just pooled me in immediately after Jacques was captured and made telepathic connection with Shea... although its romance some scenes may not be for everyone's liking... its very brutal and realistic...

Fighting to survive unendurable torment, Jacques Dubrinsky's shattered mind manages to establish a connection with a stranger. A woman who might be able to save him, or who may be the cause of his agony. American surgeon Shea O'Halloran feels compelled to travel the thousands of miles to the Carpathian mountains, where she discovers a being like none she has ever known. In her desperate race to save Jacques, Shea must face the truth about what he is and about herself. Christine Feehan has given us another can't- put- it -down page turner with Dark Desire, the second book in her series about a race of people who face extinction and are hunted as vampires. I was pulled deep into the emotional impact of Jacques' destructive madness from page one. The relationship between Jacques and Shea reminded me of the Beauty and the Beast story. He desperately needs her but at the same time is dangerous to her, and she is drawn to him in spite of the fact that she knows it may lead to her destruction. Not for the faint of heart, this book does contain some graphic violence and some pretty hot romance. A very well written, entertaining story that I highly recommend.

One of my favorite books and a frequent reread for me. Haunted by a strange compulsion and images she can't erase, Shea travels to the Carpathian mountains, looking for relief. Instead, she finds a tormented vampire, a cadre of vampire hunters, and a strange secret about her past. The chemistry between Jacques and Shea is off the charts and their situation is dire. It's a Feehan book so there's lots of her trademark purple prose, but the book is thrilling and hard to put down. Highly Recommended!

Another absolute winner in the "Dark" series (the others being; Dark Prince, Dark Gold, and soon Dark Magic). The stories of these Carpathian males and their seach for their "lifemates" are captivating! In this story, Jacques is drugged, tortured and buried alive. His family has not been able to connect with him at all and think he is dead. Buried for seven years, he makes a mental connection with Shea. A brilliant american doctor and psychic, she can't get the images of Jacques out of her mind. So begins an journey to save a tormented soul.
Sheas desire to help Jacques as a patient but not as a man; and Jacques total belief that Shea is his lifemate, make these characters very driven and compelling. I am rereading all of these stories again just so I can stay connected to these characters until Gregoris story (Dark Magic) comes out in July. These books are simply amazing! See for yourself. KCS

This is a continuation of the dark series. I think it's about 25 years forward and the Carpathians still struggle to survive without any females born to keep the race going. This story is so heartbreaking. Jaques has survived so much torture and he struggles to keep some semblance of sanity. Shea is his only salvation. These two have so much to come to terms with before they can look to the future. Definitely worth the read!

I won't go into the details of the story because the reviewers before me have done an excellent job doing that. I can only add what I think about this book. Dark Desire is not a literature piece; the writing is very simple and lacks style. It is definitely not a book for enlightenment. But that does not prevent it to be extremely entertaining; I have to agree with the other reviewers that the story is captivating. Once you start the book you won't be able to do anything else until you finish it. There is always something going on. There isn't a page where you can say "ok, I'll stop here and continue later". I have to warn you: you won't be able to stop. It is a very enjoyable book.

Like I said before, some of the writing is quite bad, but the author can still express intense feelings and relationships between the characters. And this is one of the things that make the book so addictive, you end up attached to the characters and their stories and want to know what happens with them.

I encourage you to read Dark Prince first since that's the first book in the series, and Dark Desire is the second. It's good to read Dark Prince first because many of the characters from that book reappear in Dark Desire and you will be able to understand them more if you previously read the first book. But, although you'll get more out of the story by reading the books in order, you will still be able to enjoy it if you just read it by itself.

I give this book 5 stars because although the writing is quite poor, this is just a book to enjoy and live the moment. And for that it is excellent!

Finally, I have to say that the book has many "scenes" of passionate love, so if you are one of those who "blush" easily, maybe this book is not for you...

Tall, dark, and handsome are three words that can be used to describe Jacque. Other words can be used such as wild, crazed, and lethal! He is a carpathian who was captured and tortured and left buried with a stake in his chest for years. He survived but as a result is a wild man who does not remember his past. His only link is with a woman's mind. He cries out for her to help him but when she doesn't he waits for revenge...
Shea O'Halloran was studying one evening in her dorm when she felt horrible pain and was mentally linked to a man she did not know as he was tortured and staked. She thought that she had been hallucinating and whenever the man spoke to her she thought it was a hallucination. She had always been different from others. She had a rare blood condition which required that she need blood transfusions. She could connect with her patients and use her gifts to help ease them. Shea is suddenly on the run after a confrontation with some men who showed her pictures of people they had killed and beheaded. She ends up in the Carpathian Mountains and tries to save the man who had been in her head for years. She saves him only to be attacked by the wild man. Shea must save him and help keep him sane as they are hunted by vampire hunters and an unknown traitor.

The story sets up well and seems very plausible. Shea wrestles with a number of personal issues that are all addressed, explained, and not over the top. Fearing for her life, she begins living on the run. Then, whilst in the Carpathian Mountains, she's drawn to Jacques. Next, Shea saves Jacques and tries to heal him as they come to realize that they're destined to be paired, aka "life mates." Jacques has a kind-of paranormal amnesia albeit dealing with intense primitive urges. The romantic chemistry is described fairly well but not as descriptive as I'm used to.

Dark Prince, Book 1 left me wanting. So, I never expected to read any further into the series. After several more recommendations and reading some previous reviews briefly, I gave Feehan's Dark series another go. Dark Desire, Book 2 was definitely better than its predecessor. That said, I had long stretches of being simply bored. I think very little happens in the many pages.

The audio narrator's interpretation was rather uninteresting. She more read than anything else. I still believe my original assessment of Feehan's Dark series books and was just OK. I don't intend to read the Dark series any further.

This is number two in the Dark series. Jaques was targeted by a group of 'vampire hunters' who are killing just for the fun of it. However, they don't quite finish the job, and leave Jaques helpless and alone, after administering a drug, making him unable to communicate psychicly. In his extreme of pain and suffering, Jaques contacts Shea, a medical student (and later surgeon) in America. Shea doesn't know what is going on, or why she is getting these visions of torture. Several years after Jaques is taken, Shea herself is hunted down by the aforementioned vampire hunters, and she goes on the run to save herself. At this point, they are going after anyone who is talented. Shea eventually runs to the Carpathian mountains, and frees Jaques, who has by now lost his memory, and a part of his sanity. Shea must heal Jaques, and help the Carpathians find the ones who are reponsible for the killings.

This is the second book that I read from the series. I must admit that I like the story and I am curious about the characters. That said I must agree with other reviewers - the delivery method is horrendous. Same bits and pieces of information get repeated ad nauseam, ad infinitum, sometimes back to back.
There is a familiar pattern to Ms. Sheehan's writing - at least once, towards the end of the book each heroine MUST behave like a complete idiot and endanger those close to her. It happened with Raven, it happened with Shea.
Both heroines, after repeatedly proclaiming that they have a brain, display a complete lack thereof! They behave like spoiled brats!!!
And must the writer use that many adjectives and similes?! We got it that his voice is like black velvet, etc. We got it that they are all gorgeous the first time around. No need to pound it in our heads like rusty nails! :-) What this book really needs is a good writer and even better editor!
All I can say is thank goodness for libraries. These books as they are do not entice me to spend a single cent of my money on them. Thanks, but no thanks!

Well this is the 2nd book in Christine Feeham's Dark series. The first "Dark Prince" blew me away so I was thrilled to find this book. The hero, Jaques, is a Carpathian. He must have blood to survive but he hasn't gone over to the darkness tht would turn him into a killing vampire. He is trapped but vampire hunters and tortured. He sends out telepathic messages to a young wonam doctor named Shea. She has her own need for blood daily and because of this is now being hunted by the same hunters. She frees Jaques and together they must heal each other and fight those who hunt them. Mikhail and Raven and Gregori from the first book make appearances which add to the story beautifully. I really enjoy this series and can't wait to read more. Buy this and have a wonderful day of reading.

Shea has been dreaming of the tormented Jacques for 7 years and finally she discovers his mutilated body. The lifemates fall in love and Shea heals his wounds. Jacques' family comes to him and discovers his mind has been shattered. With time he comes to trust them again and find the betrayer responsible for all his pain.
The opening of the novel is captivating but once Shea meets Jacques and begins the long healing process, the pacing become almost unbearably slow. As soon as Raven and Mikhail get involved, the pacing picks up again and the story draws you in. I really enjoyed having the family together. Re-visiting old characters adds so much to this novel. The action scenes were violent but justified, and the sex scenes were hot and few, which I liked. I highly recommend!

I stared out with Dark Ghost and I fell in love with her writing. I then had to read another book by her si I got Dark Legacy I decided I liked the story lines and the characters so much I ordered the first one if the darn series The Dark Prince. I am almost done reading it and I have already ordered the next one Dark Desire. I plan on reading every single one of her books. Easy reading, very exciting and gives me something to look forward to every chance I get to pick the book. For those vampire and Carpathian lovers I recommend her books highly. Ghiselle

I really loved this second novel in the Carpathian series! The thing I like about this series is that Feehan can keep you guessing. For example, you never really know when the next book will take place. This book takes place about 25 years after the first book so she jumps through time. I also liked that Jaques' back story was different from Mikhail's. Also, Feehan brought back minor characters from the first book that became important in this book. I really enjoyed the read. I probably read it in two days. Very addicting! I would advise all of you who enjoy this series to buy the books soon because the series is out of print now. Super excited to read more!

The sequel to Dark Prince was everything I had hoped for and more. Jacques, the egotistical brother to DP's hero Mikhail and a very likable character, was tortured, staked through the chest (but not the heart), and left locked in a coffin in the basement of an abandoned cottage for seven years. In all that time, his only tie to sanity was a tenuous mental link across the ocean with another woman, one he believes to be his traitor but is his lifemate. Shea O'Halloran, an American doctor, doesn't know the dreams she's been having for years are about a real man until she finds him locked in a coffin with a stake through the chest in the Carpathian mountains. She feels drawn to this man whom she believes has the same blood disease she does, but as she tries to help this tortured man who claims she is his life mate she comes across the secret to her own past. I really, really loved the hero in this book. Christine Feehan had taken the tortured hero to a new level, yet let us retain our pity and adoration for him. Jacques is the epitome of a tortured hero, and those who read the previous book may feel more deeply the loss of the funloving yet sarcastic brother. The heroine is strong as well; she has to be to be able to put up with/recuperate the tortured Jacques. We also get a glimpse at the previous characters and get some ideas on future book characters. I very much recommend this book, whether you like vampire romances or not.

I have to say, that this was another book I highly enjoyed after reading the first in the series, "Dark Prince."

Despite the fact that there really wasn't too much romance in the story, I really liked it, especially the continueation of what happens with Raven, Mikhail, and Gregori.

Any of the "good charachters" in the story I really liked except for the main charachter, Shea, who is a surgeon.

I am really not fond of the whole patient/doctor relationship thing, so that is why I give this four stars instead of five. Also, Shea really gets on my nerves. She is just one of those charachters I really don't like and she's kind of stuck up in the doctor kind of way in that she thinks that her ideas and facts are more important than anyone elses. Also, one minute she'll dislike Jaques (her lover) and the second, she's in bed with him.

Either way, I still had a hard time putting this book down, and I still highly recommend it to people who Christine Feehan. Also, I'm sure that others who like the whole doctor and patient fall in love scenario will enjoy this book a bit more than I did.

This is the second in a series of phenomenal books by an extraordinary author. One of the pluses for this book is that you do not need to read the first book "Dark Prince" to read and understand the second. This book is a twist on the vampire series, with Carpathians as the central characters, who when they final succumb to evil, become vampires. So far (as of the time I wrote this only four books in the series had been released) Dark Desire is my favorite. I found the characters very believable and found myself quickly enchanted by Jacques. I think the difficulties both of the main characters had in this book were handled with extreme care and with extreme realism. Unfortunately, like us, the Carpathians have issues that are just as hard for them to deal with and are ones that are not easily shrugged off. I do not keep a lot of books, but this one goes on the keeper shelf and I will admit that I have reread it numerous times (same with the other three in the series).

The book grips you fast, I read it in 2 sittings, it made me laugh out loud, cover my face in exasperation and frustration, want to shake some people. You get to read more about Mikhail, Raven and Gregory and Byron and Julian. On to book 3 for me

"Dark Desire" is the first "dark" book that Ive gotten my hands on. The whole idea behind the book had me wildly curious and I couldnt wait to read it. I was disappointed. I liked Jacques and Shea was ok, but I was bored. The story moved along very slowly and there was too little dialogue. Also, Shea was constantly changing her mind about how she felt for Jacques..she annoyed me. I also felt that a lot of the time the characters acted out in ways that were just totally unbelievable. This was mediocre at best. It could have been a fantastic story, but the writing was repetitive and the plot uninteresting. All in all woefully average.

If you like men that treat women like children, incapable of taking care of themselves, or even making decisions for themselves, you'll like the Carpathians. Oh, occasionally the men will attempt to let the women do what they want, if doing otherwise would make them too unhappy... but these women don't seem to mind too much that they're being controlled, so the unhappiness part doesn't seem to be much of a trump card.
I've read the first two books of the series so far, and although I can say the writing is decent, the concept interesting... (which is why I gave it 2 stars rather than 1) the men and the Carpathian society are just Not a turn on for a woman who has respect for herself.
The writer throws a little bit of seeming 'rebellion' in, from the women who are 'lifemated' to the men - often unknowingly, btw, as the men can 'marry/lifemate' the women without their knowing, or perhaps even willing, participation in the act. But the 'rebellion' of the women doesn't get them far, and they either change their minds or the men ignore it. The Carpathian men claim their most basic instincts are to 'protect' the women, but the protect them like children, not like their equal partners. If the women don't want to do something that the men think would be good for them, they are usually forced to do it anyway with the mind powers of the men.
All in all I'm disappointed. It's a decent concept, but it plays on the stereotype that all women really want is a man to take them over and take care of them, so long as he 'loves' them, it's all right. I'm disappointed that authors are still writing women and men this way, and that many readers prefer it.

"Dark Desire" is the 2nd book is a series of stories about the Carpathians. Not evil, but immortal and blooding drinkers, these compelling beings are under attack by true vampires and humans that hunt vampires. Jacques, a Carpathian who is younger brother to the Prince, has been taken captive and torchured by evil men and left in a basement in an abandoned building to suffer for years. He is able to overcome his pain and communicate with a woman who will become his lifemate. This story is interesting and unusually different than the others in the series. I have tried to read the series in order since characters are innerwoven throughout others' storylines. Dark Desire explains a lot about the history of Carpathians, and the physical and metaphysical differences between humans and immortals. Author, Christine Feehan, has a great immagination and writes well.

Dark Desire happens aproximatelly 25 years after Dark Prince, the first book of the series, and is the story of Jacques Dubrinski and Shea O'Halloran. He is your standard tormented anti-heroe, uber-dangerous and sexy, and she is the flawless woman (beautiful, compassionate, intelectually perfect) who will fall for his flaws and heal him. Not that there is any other chance: she is his lifemate, whether she wants to be or not, so it's a done deal and the reader knows that just by reading the intro.

So much perfection, clichés and predictability take a heavy toll on any book.

The romance happens in unbeliavable situations at times, which takes quite a toll on the story. The concepts of sharing of blood and sex, when being described as so intimate by the author, should be more carefully placed on the story instead of being used so repeatedly and many times without another reason than: "That's just how Carpathian males are" or "It's that kind of book, so people want to read about romance."

Dark Desire is still a lot better than its predecessor though, because the characters are better writen, the story is there and there is actually a plot. The writer took much better care of building a story and a background to the characters. Unfortunately, the dialogues remain repetitive, and it's fairly easy to tell where it is heading. Read the first book, and you've read them all in terms of how the relatioship develops between the two main characters. Thus, the chances of buying a third book are remote.

All in all though, it's still enjoyable, but do not expect any sort of intelectual stimulation from this book.

I thought this was one of the best Dark series books. The story was very dramatic and pulled you right in. I couldn't stop reading it. In her other books, the Carpathians are strong men, although they are ready to turn to the dark side or kill themselves just before they find their lifemates. In this book, the hero Jacques, has been buried alive and tortured for 7 years. He's basically insane when Shea finds him, and can't remember any of his family including his brother Mikhail and best friend Byron when they try to help him. It was an awesome book and quite different from the rest of Feehan's books.

I liked this installment in the dark series because it dealt with Carpathian instability. Many levels of mental instability were explored both through Shea's character and that of Jacques.

It turns out that Jacques the would be heir to the Carpathian Prince-dom lost his mind because of torture by the vampire/ hunters, then being buried alive. Does that give him the right to abuse his would be lifemate? You be the judge.

Shea is the daughter of an insane Carpathian male whom caused several disgusting endings to more than one "cherished" female. Finally, he has turned vampire,, What should Shea do with this information?

Although the assorted Carpathians came and rallied around the couple; one can not help but wonder if they took more than they gave? These among many other questions are left to the individual reader to claim rights or wrongs.

In the end, Jacques and Shea had each other, which is truly a good thing BUT,, what of trust of family and friends? That trust was severly trampled in this book, even though Ms. Feehan does explain how and why the Jacques kidnap happened.

In any case,, happy reading, its a good book and worth your notice in my opinion.

I really like the Dark series by Feehan and have now read several of the books in her series, but it's just all getting a litle bit old. Dark Desire started out promising and just fell flat on its face. For one, the females are always complaining and throwing up excuses about their lost independence and the repulsion having to take blood to survive. Quit your whining! I am also tired of the constant reinforcement of how the Carpathian males are little more than beasts who must have their lifemates to survive. The cliches and overused phrases are also becoming a bother, such as "black velvet voice" and Gregori's "molten mercury eyes", and the "stark possessiveness" in the Carpathian males' glances. I was glad that in this novel that Ms. Feehan limited the number of sex scenes which have run rampant in her other books. Also, the battles with the vampires are so built up throughout the novel, and then at the end, there is such an anticlimax that the reader can't help but feel deflated. I must stress that I really do like the concept of the series, but it's all getting too repetitive, even with the introduction of the "lost" Carpathians in Dark Challenge, Dark Fire, etc. Ms. Feehan needs to breathe new life into this series, because it could be so much more original.

Christine Feehan wrote a winner with this one. Unlike most romance nonsense the boy does not rescue the girl and the girl does not melt into a useless twitter at the sight of the man. In this book we meet a strong woman who fights to save her patients (she is a doctor) and herself. The Carpathians (read almost vampires) are explored more fully and Jaques is an interesting "hero". Shea finds him in trouble and rescues him and from there the story really takes off. This book won several awards and deserved them. It is a good read on its own and a required read for anyone enjoying the Dark series.

After reading the first book, the only character that really jumped out at me that I wanted to read about was Gregori. I bought this sequel, in the hopes that this was who it was about. Let me tell you, it didn't matter. Shea and Jacques were great! The story line kept you deeply involved and thinking about what was going to happen the whole time. Even though you don't hear much about them in the first book, you really get involved with them in this one. I would like to see Alex's story, But most of all, I want to see Gregori. I hope that she doesn't make me wait to long!

I discovered this series because I picked up a book on the "last chance" shelf at a book store and it was Dark Wolf. I later discovered it is like book #25 or something in the series so I wanted to read some from the beginning first. I read this after reading the first book Dark Prince. While I am unsure if I like the writing style, I did love the story line in this book. I enjoyed reading Dark Desires more so than the first book. I loved the characters and their relationships. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series....

This is a great example of using character development. Shea thinks she is dying until she stumbles on Jacques who has been tortured and left to starve to death for 7 years. This story explores how people learn to trust each other and overcome their fear. It is a 'hard' book in that it is not soft and fuzzy. Jacques has become a hard man and barely sane from his ordeal. The interaction with other characters provides some continuity to the series, but the book could be read alone. I like to re-read this as it explores how and what makes us human and the darker side of love.

I accidentally started out with Dark Fire (Book 6 of the Dark series), and I loved that book so much that I went on to purchase Dark Prince, Dark Desire, and Dark Gold. Dark Fire and Dark Prince inspired me to keep reading this series, but I was a little disappointed with Dark Desire. The story line is a little blah, and the characters were just a little too predictable. Christine Feehan is still a great writer, and Dark Desire is not worth giving up on the rest of the series, but I will honestly say that I was a little disappointed with it, and I'm glad I was able to read through it as quickly as I did so that I could continue with the next book, which is definitely better.

From the back of the book...
The stranger silently summoned her from across the continents, across the seas. He whispered of eternal torment, of endless hunger...of dark, dangerous desires. And somehow American surgeon Shea O'Halloran could feel his anguish, sense his haunting aloneless, and she ached to heal him, to heal herself.
Drawn to the far Carpathian mountains, Shea found a ravaged, raging man, a being like no other. And she trembled. For in his burning eyes, his icy heart, she recognized the beloved stranger who'd already become part of her. This imperious Carpathian male had compelled Shea to his side. But was she to be his healer...or his prey? His victim...or his mate? Was he luring her into madness...or would his dark desire make her whole?

This was my favorite book in the Series. It is emotionally compelling, very raw, suspenseful, and engrossing. If you like the reading the vampire/Carpathian theme, I highly recommend this one. There is nothing fluffy about this book. Some of the emotions drawn out while reading it, are not pleasant to experience. This one truly deserves Dark in the title, but I loved it and hated to see it end. I believe this is a reissue. I may buy this one, again. I loan books out and never get them back.

I am not sure how I felt about this book. I cannot say that I loved it but I did not hate it either. My heart bleeds for the tormented sould of Jacques but him attaching himself to Shea (like a blood-sucker) and ravaging her throat after she tried to help him really put me off. I cannot even read this book for a second time. I love reading about them in all the other books but this one is too much pain for the herione. I unfortunately can only give this book 3-stars.

PJVs QUICKIE POV:
In a similar style as the first book, Dark Prince, Dark Desires is a well rounded book, with very well formed characters and a neat world of heady emotional flavor. Yet, the 'damaged' heroine and macho male lead made the romance fall flat for me. But fans of contemporary romance and that don't need a snarky, tough female lead (like me! I'm sooo predictable) should really enjoy.

REVIEW:
A Carpathian male, hunted and imprisoned in the Earth. A female hunted her entire life. A presence has been in her mind for the last seven years which started with the most intents pain. The presence is drawing her to Europe, to the Carpathian Mountains...and to a man buried in a basement, a man that might be her fate and hold the answers to the questions that have plagued her all her life.

Again, Juanita Parker is the narrator and I again, she did an excellent job in pronunciation and accents. Her "male" voices didn't sound odd or badly formed.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
Adult content, sexual encounters and violence. This is recommended for fans of Nora Roberts in the romance sense and Gena Showalter in the vampy sense.

I found this book to be utterly mezmerising. You can almost feel the pain and confusion of both of the main characters, but you san also feel the blinding love that the characters feel for eachother, and that any pain they go through is worth it in the end. Our hero, Jacques, is a tortured soul, both literly and mentaly, who strives to overcome his madness for the protection of his people, his mate, and all of mankind. For only Jaques knowes the idenity of the true threat to their people and humanbeings as well, the vampire. The heroin, Shea, has her own problems to deal with, like discovering that she is only half human, that she has a preordained lifemate, that she is the only thing standing between him and dark madness,And that she had discovered the love of a lifetime, and with Carpathians, that is a very long time. With intresting and dangerous supporting characters and an influx of fresh Carpathian blood introduced,Dark Desire not anly offers a sensitive, origional, and sometimes quite humerous tale, it also leaves the reader wishing and waiting in anticipation for future books about the great Carpathians and their neverending struggles to protect humanity. Author Christine Feehan has once again drawn us intot he unpredictable and stunningly beautiful world of the Carpathian in their quest to save humanity from monsterous emotionally dead vampires, and caused us to shiver in delight and gasp in terror at the world where she has so skillfully drawn us in. This book is a definate keeper and will do proud any collector fo fine literary works.

My sister introduced me to the first book in the series, Dark Prince. I was the one to find Dark Desire on the shelves, and I bought two copies and rushed directly to my sister's house to give her one of them.
Jacques is a man teetering on the brink of insanity after years of torment. Shea is a brilliant surgeon with an endless supply of compassion and a lifetime of loneliness, struggling to find the cure for a blood disorder that will eventually claim her life. She is the one person who can keep him from madness, the other half of his soul. He is the one person who can end her loneliness and provide her the unswerving, unconditional love she both needs and fears.
Christine Feehan has created a fascinating world, filled with drama, passion, and characters that grab your interest and hang on. The Carpathian life mate bond is an intense merging of souls, wonderfully depicted by Ms. Feehan's talented pen. What woman could resist the idea of a gorgeous man who will love her unconditionally, for all eternity, putting her life and happiness before his own?
Whether you're a fan of vampire romance or not, this series is not to be missed for romance readers who love intense, passionate, emotional reads. I can't wait for the next installment.
Good job, Ms. Feehan!

I must say, I really enjoy Ms. Feehan's unique twist to this genre. Her Carpathians are inspired characters; sophisticated males with protective and primal instincts and her human heroines strong and compassionate. I've always loved the Ancient Greek idea that everyone has another half out in the world somewhere and true happiness cannot be achieved until you find it. Feehan does an excellent job of creating a strong, but wounded male in Jaques. Her heroine, Shea, is also a strong female, whom Jacques admires not only for her beauty and compassion, but also for her brains and courage . In truth, I had to reread the book twice more just to savor their relationship! I can't wait for Dark Gold and the rest of Feehan's installments about her Carpathians. I grateful that Ms. Feehan is a quick writer. If her books were any further apart than 6 months, I'm not sure I could take the wait! Dark Prince and Dark Desire are "MUST READS" in my book. Enjoy!

I love reading all the Christine Feehan has written. The Carpathian series is by far my favorite.
Every time I read them, I feel as though I have traveled to the Carpathian Mountains & know all the characters personally.

I was really disappointed by this book. I've read several Feehan books and short stories and this book has had pretty good reviews, so I figured I would enjoy it.

Sadly, I was wrong.

Where was the story? Where was the passion? Where was the climax (ehhem! of the story!)? The "bad guy" was discovered and destroyed in what seemed like 5 pages. The leading lady just annoyed me because she was always in denial about what she was and had to resist everything. Half of the book was spent trying to get the two characters to meet. When I had finished the book I thought "where was the story? that's it?!?" The only thing this book accomplished was introducing new/upcoming story lines which sound more interesting than this book.

I feel bad that I didn't enjoy this book because off Feehan's little FYI on why she wrote this, but I just couldn't get into it. It took me 2 weeks to read this book when I usually finish one in 2 days! I'd say read this book if you can rent or borrow it, but save yourself the $! This isn't one you need to add to your collection.

I've read all of the books for this series to date, and I must say that this is one of the better story lines. I'm a sucker for a truly tormented hero, and Jacques fits that role pretty well. His character transformation from what it was in Dark Prince makes him such an interesting character. It was almost shocking to see what had become of the once light-hearted Carpathian after his torture. Don't miss this book! I would recommend reading Dark Prince first though in order to get some background on Jacques so that one can really grasp the changes that takes place in him.

Ok...so everyone is getting wounded in this tale from Feehan. Seems like no one stays in one piece and about 1/3 of this book is fixing people up and giving each other blood. Shea is abused, injured, throat ripped out, and second degree burns caused by the sun ... well...in my opinion none of this should happen because it isn't very well address or even believably described. Jacques is badly wounded and this surgeon (Shea) ....while in the middle of the woods in a third world country and on the run from people who want to kill her...sets up an operating room just in case anyone may need surgery while they happen by her isolated cottage. HUH??? Is this a joke?

So wonder what happens to the hero and heroine? Well if you ever read a Feehan ....exactly the same thing that happens in all her books.

So why do I keep buying them? I ask myself over and over again WHY? Feehan does put a lot of energy into that first two or three chapters. I always believe that I am going to LOVE it, that this book will be different, but she gets into her same old routine and nothing new EVER happens.

It's funny, I started reading this and could not put it down. Having read "The Dark Prince" it was the same. I opened this book and was captured. I was so afraid for Jaques. I cheered when Byron was lurking in the shadows although the nick he left on Shea was not good. This story was excellent. The Dark Series is great and must read for the "Vampire, Shapeshifter Otherworldly" lover.

Very good chemistry between Shea and Jaques. She isn't a doormat and is brave enough to try to help him, even though he is nearly (Ok, TOTALLY) mad from torture.

Like others have said, there is a bit more banter and humor in this book which makes it a fun read. There is also fore-shadowing of Gregori's future lifemate.

Nice escapism reading with those sexy, uber-alpha-macho (but Oh-so-loving) Carpathian males.

After reading Feehan's first book in the series, Dark Prince, I did not think it would be as good but I was wrong! Dark Desire definitely measured up to it's predecessor. The book had the right blend of everything: growth between the characters, steamy love scenes, action and even homor in various places. I was surprised when I found out who the hero was, because he was such a changed character from the first book, but Feehan pulls it off nicely and more importantly believably! Definitely do yourself a favor and read the series by order of book, you will be less puzzled by the references made. This book was great!
P.S. For those who loved her first books, her next in the Carpathian saga will be out in April, entiltled Dark Gold.

I thought this book was great! Its not the only book I read by Mrs. Feehan either. Look, I'm only 15 and she some how caught me into a romance book. I hated romance b/c it always made everybody look dumb and the two "lovers" disgusted me. But by accident, I picked up this book and I couldnt stop reading it! I simply fell into it head first and had no regrets. I thought Jacques and the way he lost his mind was facsinating and Shea suprised me by the way she acted. she just devoured information without emotion. I must admitt that at times I would have punched her for the way she acted, but then again people get hysterical in those kinds of situations. People, unless your the kind of person who likes to spit these kinds of books out at the author, dont tell her they're bad in your own ways. Instead, e-mail her about what you think and how she could change it. Above all, I thought this book was grrreat and many people should spread the wealth and read them. Your an awsome writer Mrs. Feehan, I have almost all your Carpathian books...hehe.=D

If anyone is new to the Dark series by Christine Feehan, you absolutely need to READ DARK PRINCE FIRST. Feehan introduces a new race of paranormal humans, and you need to know what about their Carpathian/vampire universe. Also, what happens in this book deals directly with what happened in Dark Prince. Dark Desire is not standalone. After Dark Prince you can almost pick up any of the other books.

Dark Desire has very little romance in it, so if you want to see some romance, don't bother. It's just one big pool of blood and torture. People are strangled, stabbed, staked, shot, mangled, manacled, healed and then injured again, bitten, bled...it just doesn't stop! Oh, and they have a lot of sex even whey they are still bleeding. Whatever.

And you almost need a scorecard and a handy family tree to piece together who did what and which people are being healed and by whom, and who else is near death at any particular moment. Not that I want to be babied through a book, but everything happens awfully fast. and it seems that way too much goes unsaid with these people, as if Feehan didn't bother to organize the nebulous mass in her head. There are too many characters and too many sideplots. Think of it as a cross between a gorefest and a soap opera.

Suffice it to say that everyone is okay in the end. So now you can get this from the library and skim to the sideplots that you're interested in. (for me that's the Gergori subplot). On the whole it's not a disaster, but NOT great in terms of a romance.

I couldn't wait until this book came out. Bought it yesterday and went home and read instead of doing the million and one things I should have been doing. That is my way of telling if a book is good or not-if I can't tear myself away from it. Christine Feehan is a great storyteller who makes carpathians into romantic heros and heroines. Jacques and Shea's tale is bittersweet, there is anquish on both sides and you can't wait to finish to book to see how it is resolved. Plus, you get to meet Gregori again (be still my heart), I can't wait until his story is told. Keep them coming Ms. Feehan

There are not many authors whose subsequent books are as good as the first. This author does it hands down in Dark Desire. The sexual tension is descriptive and riveting and the portrayal of a male who will always love you and put you first is impossible to resist. I liked it that the personalities of Jacques and Shea are totally different, as well as their emotional needs are different than those characters of Dark Prince. There was enough to tie in the previous book and keep the story flowing, as well as information to lead to new books. It was exciting to see Jacques as more animalistic and almost out of control and Shea act as his anchor; how as his lifemate, even when his emotions were off the deep end from his torture, he still couldn't hurt her and recognized her as his lifemate even when he wasn't all there. I am looking forward to the stories of Byron and more so of Gregori. I can't wait to get more books by this author.

This book has such an emotional aspect to it its crazy! That first chapter in that book gives you the mindset for all the twists and turns. A decent into madness and redemption. I couldn't put this book down at all read it in a day. This is a great addition to the dark series.

Reading these in order, I had expected this to be an improvement on Dark Prince. It wasn't.

While I really sympathized with the tortured (literally & figuratively) Jacques, he was so uber macho, that I found him very annoying. Shea was so stubborn in refusing to believe the evidence right before her eyes.

The book was very slow, especially at the beginning. Way too much exposition. Eventually, very late in the book, it gets moving, but by then it's nearly too late. Feehan's repetitive use of "little" endearments really grated on my nerves (I'd already had enough in Dark Prince), and I thought I'd scream if I read "I'm a predator" type comments one more time. Geez, enough is enough already. This series is definitely not equal to the hype. One & 1/2 stars.

Dark Desire is the first book that I have read by Christine Feehan, but it will definitely not be my last as we speak I am ordering Dark Prince and pre-ordering Dark Gold. I have a feeling I will love this series. This book has everything a great romance needs. It has mystery and suspense, it has great sexual tension, amazing action, and above all else it has incredible characters and a story that goes a long with it. Usually with elements of this kind the story is neglected but Feehan did a great job of intertwining everything. I truly loved this book and I would recommend it to anyone.

A great read, as are all Christine Feehan books
It makes a change the heroine rescuing the hero. A delight to read....I wonder if Christine will ever write a story where the male is the one converted over to the Capathian ways
The only (slight) downer to all these stories is where the heroine (small, slender) and hero (big and muscular) are stero-typed as the proper (?) counter-point to each other

I am So Hooked on this Dark Series By Christine Feehan, just started reading this series a few days ago and I'm on book 4 already I can't Seem to put them Down!! I love all the hero's And heroine's of all the books thus far. I really have Enjoyed all the Storylines and all the characters as well....GREAT SERIES!!! A Must READ!!

While browsing through the bookstore for something to read one day, I stumbled across Ms. Feehan's book "Dark Gold". Being totally impressed, I rushed out and acquired all of the other books available in the "Dark" series, and spent a weekend enhaling them. Since then, I have read and re-read all of them, but Dark Desire is by far and away my favorite. It has a strong, compelling story line that really grabs your attention and keeps it from the first page to the last. After reading scores of books where the poor, helpless little heroine has to be rescued by the big, strong man, it was an absolute treat to finally read a book where the WOMAN rescues the MAN. Not only physically, but emotionally as well. Shea is the type of woman we would all like our daughters to grow up to be. Strong, educated, independent, brilliant and beautiful. And completely unwilling to take any guff off of Jacques. And then of course there is Jacques. Strong, gorgeous and increadibly sexy. Who wouldn't like to have him take a bite of you. I have just ordered Ms. Feehan's newest book, Dark Challenge, and I hope that she continues this tradition of writing exciting, sexy romances where the men are men and the women more than hold their own.

This was my first Feehan novel and now I'm hooked. This read made.for such an action packed and intense read. I loved the character depth. This story was.so.well executed. I look forward to.reading others in series.

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this book, but in the face of the overwhelming number of five-star reviews, I felt a little weird. I read Dark Prince, loved it, went out and bought this book the next day.
This book, while still good, didn't have quite the same chemistry between the two main characters. Jacques' character never seemed really fleshed out to me. He has two elements to his personality--protectiveness, primarily towards the heroine, and a desire for vengeance.
While trying to avoid giving too much away, I didn't completely understand the connection between the villains in this book and the previous one, although the author attempts to explain it.
Still, I enjoyed this book, although it was a slight disappointment after Dark Prince.

Even after everything he'd been through, I had a hard time liking Jacques and I wanted to like him. He'd been so sweet and giving in Dark Prince, you just knew his story was going to be an easy one.

Boy was I wrong, but pleasantly surprised. Christine (funny, that I feel like I know her!) really made me WORK at getting to a place where I could even feel sorry for Jacques. That kept me turning pages.

You'll be rooting for him by the end!

This is the first book I've read by Christine Feehan. If your definition of romance is being contolled and forced to feel "love" by being manipulated mentally, physically and sexually, then this is the book for you. Sure, Shea comes around and her feelings are true. But personally, its not my idea of a romance novel. Plot was interesting though.

OK, so maybe I'm jaded. I compare all "vampire" books to the first one I read (and my on-going favorite), Anne Rice's The Vampire Lestat. I like strong, sexy, fun, tortured vampires who get themselves in all kinds of trouble. I didn't think Dark Desire matched up.
First, the hero, Jacques, was kindof irritating. He's supposed to be totally fragmented and on the edge of sanity, but he's acts totally normal toward the heroine. Plus, there's this supposed lifemate thing where he is trying to convince Shea that she is his lifemate (and the "his" here is *very* possessive). This is on-going, and left me thinking ALRIGHT ALREADY! We get it - she's supposed to be your stupid lifemate. Let's move on, please. The couple talks about little else.
And Shea is equally irritating. I was thinking that she needed to move on, also. How long can you be *so* morbid and convinced that you're not going to be with a guy who's literally been in your head for like years? Here's a summary of Jacques and Shea's conversations: You're my lifemate. No I'm not. Yes you are. No I'm not. Yes you are. No - I'm going to die. No you're not. Yes you are. No you're not. Ad nauseum.
Oh, by the way, there are some other *much* more interesting Carpathians wandering around throughout the book, and there's a bad guy and some human henchman. The other Carpathians are a much-needed break from the Jacques-Shea tedium. The vampire hunting plot is not all that surprising, but is also a break from the tedium and thus was welcomed.
I gave this two stars because it could have been a good story, and because I really liked all the other Carpathians. I intend to read about them. I was just sick and tired of the two this particular book was about when it finally ended.

I really liked this book a lot. I loved the story line. I liked Jacques from the first book. While I thought Gregori's story would be next, I am glad to read Jacques story. Awesome! Can't wait to see who is next!

I have read the first seven books of the Dark Series and Dark Desire is by far the best book so far. Dark Desire is certainly the best STORY thus far. Feehan gets repetitive in her writing it can get pretty boring... Carpathian finds lifemate, takes away all of her independence, she cries and complains, and they live happily ever after anyway. The most recent one that I read, Dark Legend, has a great story too but in all honesty the rest have been pretty disappointing.

When Jacques and Shea meet up the chemistry is practicully instint. Jacques has been tortured beyond anything anyone should survive; shea who's childhood was anything but happy, when these two meet by the longing of there souls you know that they'll need each other to get over their past and to make their future together.

This has become one of my favorite reads in the supernaturl world and the series is always dependable for a sizziling and hot supernatural romance!

A must read and highly recomended!

This was the first book that I read by Christine Feehan, & it's a very good book. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 B/c, although the story is very gripping, the villain didn't put up a long enough fight towards the end... it ended in like 2 paragraphs! ~**slash-slash*-*swoosh*-*claw*-*gasp... dead**~ Don't get me wrong- it has a lovely ending! And I would recommend Christine Feehan as much as I would Kinley MacGregor & Sherrilyn Kenyon! Boo~ya!!!

Run, don't walk to get this book. A must read for fans of paranormal romance. Erotic, and seductive, Dark Desire draws you in and doesn't let you go until the last page is read. Two tormented individuals, one carrying physical and mental scars thanks to his torturers, and the other carrying emotional scars from her childhood. Their struggle and how they heal each other will keep you enthralled. Ms. Feehan, keep writing, and I promise to keep on reading about those sexy, dark, dangerous Carpathian males, and the spunky women who tame them. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Also, recommend Dark Prince.

What jacques goes through really gets to you. This story is about a love that stands through thick and thin. Jacques needs Shea just as much as she needs him. This novel is well written and filled with enough drama for an emotional roller coaster ride.

Write on, read on
N.M. Phillips

I have read almost all of Christine Feehan books and have loved all of them, this one included. The book continues with the legend of the Carpathian male needed to fine his mate to stay sane. As with her other books, Christine makes you feel like Shea and Jacques were "real" people destined to fall in love. They band together through necessity and get rid of the real "bad" guys. If you like any of the Dark series you need to read this one.

I just reread this book for the third time. This series is incredible. This book caputred me (again, for the third time), kept me up until 2am... What a fabulous group of characters Miss Feehan has created. I'm an avid fan of the entire series. I look forward to seeing Jacques and Shea mentioned in future books.

Apparently I started reading the second book of this series. It didn't matter. I was quickly drawn in by the story of what seemed to be a vampire novel and a romance. The hero 'vampire' was not a vampire though and the vampire hunters turned out to be the bad guys. This was a pretty good story. I would have given it five stars if it was not for the repetition, grammar and formatting errors. I will read more though!

All of Christine Feehan's Dark series books are wonderful. I get so caught up in them I actually start to believe that there may be Carpathians in this world. Boy, I would love to find my Lifemate. Then I come back down to reality, (unfortunately) and know that if I ever need to escape into a great world then I will pick up a Christine Feehan "Dark" book. I swear the books just come alive for me in my imagination and I get lost in the reading and when I finally do come up for air I find myself longing for the Carpathian world. Not many books can do and take me where these books do. Read anything of hers and you will enjoy too.

"Feehan creates a solid, stand-alone novel so readers won't have to worry about finding the first book. Through flashbacks as Jacques recovers his memory, she introduces the characters from the first book and provides tantalizing hints of the stories yet to come. A fantastic find to celebrate the millenium by a top notch new author."
Excerpt reprinted from The Bookdragon Review.

Jacques Dubrinsky's torture in this particular title lingers on, more than a year after I first read this title. Chrisitne Feehan's talent for instilling memories of her world never ceases to amaze me!
Christine, your world is unique, your talent one-of-a-kind. Never stop!

I loved this book I think more than first. Jacques is a strong hero even in his tortured state. I found this book to be even more romantic and couldn't wait to read the rest (I have read them all) Ms. Feehan deserves all the praise and accolades she receives for this wonderful series.

Vampire romances have long been my favorite genre and Christine Feehan gives it that perfect twist! I got hooked on this author by picking up dark prince, and fell in love, but dark desire is my favorite one so far...I loved everything about this book! Jacques is so sexy and Shea is the perfect lifemate for him...I got so into this book. When Ms. Feehan describes the torments that Jacques(and Shea through him)is put through by the "vampire" hunters, I just wanted to jump in and save him! I highly recommend this book and this series to all.

My only gripe about this novel is that it is much too repetitive. I swear phrases and sentences are used 4 or 5 times too much. I don't understand why Feehan does this - maybe to add more pages.

Other than that, the idea is good, I thought the characters were fine, and the writing is fine in some instances as well. If Feehan could just stop hammering the same thing over and over again it the novel would be better.

It is a good book. It follows the series well, the plot stays with the ones that come before it.

The sex scenes are too drawn out, the story line is good though. I have become accustom to skipping the 3-4 page long sex and then starting to read again.

I'll continure to buy the dark series, just because I like the stories.

I had read Dark Prince and absolutley loved it! Then, i read Dark Desire...Jacques, brother to the Dark Prince is very terrifying. But, you feel this sensual, passionate pull to him. I didnt want it to end. I hope Ms. Feehan has many good things in store for all of her characters. Im praying that she keeps writing about the Carpathian race. I find them a most intriguing bunch! Thank you, Ms. Feehan for an excellent read. Cant wait for Dark Gold and Dark Magic!

Me mucho gusto el libro de amor. Yo creo todas las personas deben leer Desire de dark. itay elphay gusentite emay ithway ymay glishenay. ookedhay noay nicsphoay orkedway orfay emay. Es bueno bueno bueno libro! Donkeshurn por tu tiempo.

My daughter and I are so excited that we found Christine Feehan. We have recently finished purchasing all of her "Dark Series". I believe that in itself is the best rating that I could give her.

We found that each of her books are a fabulous read, although Dark Desire so far is my favourite. It holds you. You feel the charactors, you envission the settings. I found I couldn't/wouldn't put it down, so for a few days the house work was ignored. These books are a must buy!!

was not a bad second ..but the quality of the disc's not the greatest...but your people already did good by me on this one...as far as the plot goes could have gone a lil further as i have others of the dark series and i hope that the ones i dont have fill me in a lil more on shea

Wow. I love vampires and romance and this book contains both! Its such a brilliant book that im lost for words. Just please, for the love of god, read this! I know you will love it, who could not when it contains everything from action, horror, love, kick ass moves and the paranormal? So go on, go to your local libary and ask if they have the book, you never know...

Could Dark Desire live up to the first book of the series..Dark Prince. Could it be possible? A resounding YES! is heard. Ms. Feehan made the perfect sequel. This tale is full of all the ingredients that make a novel stand out. Not least of all a scrumptuous leading male character, Jacques. How can she keep pulling these great books out of her sleeve? I don't know but i can't wait for more!

I must admit I did not expect Jacques story to be filled with madness from how he was protrayed in the first novel, but ti was a most wonderful surprise. This book touches on the darker side of a Carpathian's mind and shows how much they do in fact need their other half...their light. A must read for all Feehan's fans!

Love this series!! There's only MAYBE 4 authors out of the HUNDREDS I read that I can say is worth coming back to read periodically, over & over. And Christine Feehan's Dark series is DEFIANTLY one of them!!
A MUST READ!!
ENJOY!!

Christine has done it again. Wonderful story! The whole story and characters came alive. This is a book that I would tell everyone about. I really enjoyed how she got into the mind of someone who had be not only physically but mentally hurt, then showed the love and compassion that is needed from someone who loves to help bring them back. I can't wait for the next book.

This is the best of all Ms. Feehan's Carpathian males. The Ancient Gregori is so very dark and sensual. His lifemate is young and naive. A Startling mixture of sexual tension and adventure. If you have read the earlier works in this series you will already know how powerful and dangerous he is. Read this book and fall in lust!

this book was just wonderful. every bit as good if not even better than the first. i cannot put it down, every page is just a wow. a truly talented writer, i look forward to reading the rest of the series. thanks again christine for a truly wonderful story and keep up the good work.

I am not much of a reader and do not have a lot of time to read but this book was an excellent book. I have started reading the series and I LOVE IT!!! It is the right mixture of romance and vampires. The story really brought the vampire race to life and made you feel the feelings that the characters were feeling. It was almost as if the carpathians were a really race.

the only character that really jumped out at me that I wanted to read about was Gregori. I bought this sequel, in the hopes that this was who it was about. Let me tell you, it didn't matter. Shea and Jacques were great! The story line kept you deeply involved and thinking about what was going to happen the whole time. Even though you don't hear much about them in the first book, you really get involved with them in this one. Also, if you missed reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates, go and read it.

My daughter and I love her books and own pretty much every one. I can never wait for her next book. They are not only suspenseful but very romantic. Imagine finding someone that has been waiting their whole life just for you.

It's been a long time since I have picked up a book and could not put it down despite ringing phones, noisy neighbors and alarm clocks. Ms. Feehan has done an outstanding job and I must admit that I absolutely love those Carpathian men. I am highly anticipating the 4th book in the series.

Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down until I turned the last page. This is one of the most erotic books I have ever read. Romance, intrigue, drama, and suspence is what you will find plenty of in this book. I will now read all of the other books in the dark series written by Christine Feehan.

For all of us who miss the Buffy the Vampire Series and believe that there ARE other species of goodness out there this is the series to read. I enjoyed the storyline, the passionate love and connection between the couple and hope that others discover this series.

I own all of the Dark series except for Dark Prince, but I have read them all. I think it is an excellant series of books that show that the vampire (Carpathians) can win sometimes. Also they will make you cheer on the Carpathians.

I found this book to be very good. Jacques is a brilliant character who has suffered so much, but when Shea comes for him and saves him, I just found that to be a brilliant plot. The ending is so happy for them! I wish I could write more about it, but I don't want to spoil it for you!

I disliked the violence Jacques occasionally displayed towards Shea, with his 'insanity' serving as an excuse. Particularly in the scenes at the beginning of the book, such as where Jacques meets his brother again, the abuse was too much to ever allow Jacques to be a likeable, or even tolerable, character. This was my least favourite of all her Dark series books.

This book is simply horrible. Repetitive dialogue and situations. Characters that just make you groan and roll your eyes.

I've read two by this author and she's just awful. Both books used the same lines over and over again. The stories chased their tails in circles half the time. Dull, repetitive and annoying.