A Carpathian Novel (Carpathian Novels) - Dark Challenge

The premise of the Carpathian books still makes all of these books worth reading. You're promised an angsty, hurting male and a lifemate to comfort away all his pain. I love the Carpathian books for that alone. This book does not fail to deliver on that. But the series does still suffer from some repetitive tendencies, particularly a few repetitive words over and over again. And the sexism in the books is enough to really annoy me.

This book brought in some refreshing differences from books three and four. I was really worried about the repetition and similar plots in those books. This book is still the same format, but there's just enough new, unique things to keep my interest. There is a new group of siblings. Adding family dynamics to the story made the scenario more intriguing to me. The vampire related plot in this story was much more interesting and personal than previous books too. It still wasn't as good as the plot and twists of books one and two, but there was some unknown mystery to it to keep me turning pages. I also particularly liked that the author gave Julian some dark, guilty secrets in his past.

I really like it when the story ties back into characters from previous books. This one has some of that, but I would like for that to be explored a lot more. I know the focus has to be the lifemates, but it would be really nice to actually get to see the main characters of this book interacting with the main characters of the previous books. There's good reason to do that in this story, but it never happens. That was a big disappointment for me.

The lifemate isn't as young this time. She's older and actually has some powers of her own. However the women are still written as whiny. The powers given to the women are 'feminine' powers. I personally think that an ancient Carpathian woman should be able to zap some lightning down from the sky and destroy a vampire herself without even breaking a sweat. It seemed like this book was actively trying to contend with some arguments about sexism in the previous books, but the fact that her trying to dispel that was still so incredibly sexist actually made it a little worse. I still love the books because of the premise, but the sexism does really annoy me.

I must also say that the ending really let me down. I won't spoil anything, but when I finished, I started flipping pages. Where was the rest of the book? Seriously, where's the rest of it? Surely A, B, and C were not all going to be unresolved! But they are. It was a big let down for me that I'd been reading so fast to find out what happened with these things but never did. I hope perhaps they are at least mentioned in future books. It's enough to make me want to read the next ones to find out.

All in all it is a Carpathian novel, and I have to love them all for their angsty males. But the sexism and repetition are annoying. However this book did have more plot and a slightly stronger female than books three or four, so I did enjoy it more than those, but it still pales in comparison to books one and two for me.

This is the fifth book in the series and I am addicted. When I started reading it could not put it down. The Carpathian men are strong and stubborn but we find out the women have hidden strengths also. Julian and Darius are life mates but will they be able to survive each other. He thought he was almost invincible till he met Darius and he heard her sing. She was more than his mate she was also a force to be reckoned with.she melted his heart and he was afraid the dark lurking inside of him would get her hunted and perhaps killed

In the 5th book of the Dark Series, we get to see the other "golden Adonis" of the Carpathian race, Julian Savage, meet his match.

As untamed as the wind, Julian is one of the oldest ones of his kind. A great hunter, he possesses immense power having acquired much knowledge over the centuries. But as typical of the males of their race, he has lived a solitary existence, void of color or emotion. Now he is truly feeling the emptiness of his life, a terrible existence that he no longer wants to endure. So with his mind made up, he's decided to greet the dawn as soon as he finishes the last errand assigned to him by their Prince. A task that will change his life forever.

Desari was merely six-months-old when she, along with her brother and four other kids, was forced to flee the Carpathian Mountains when their town was besieged by vampire hunters. Now centuries later, they have formed a band called the Dark Troubadours, with her as the lead singer. Possessing an angelic voice, she is an enchantress who weaves her magic over her audience. But their odd lifestyle hasn't escaped the notice of those fanatics hell-bent on ridding the world of everyone whom they suspect to be vampires. And it is during one of her shows that she will find herself bound forever to Julian.

The moment Julian hears her sing, colors immediately burst around him and he knew in that instant that Desari was the lifemate he's been waiting for. And when she is attacked and left for dead, he comes to her rescue and provides her blood, at the same time reciting the Carpathian ritual that will bind her to him for eternity. But when he is attacked by her bodyguards, he has no choice but to flee, therefore leaving Desari on her own, not knowing what happened to her, but feeling the emptiness that a lifemate feels in her other half's absence. The next time they meet, Desari is drawn to Julian and unable to stay away from him. As soon as the mating ritual is completed, she knows that she could never leave him. And after learning of his torment, she feels a strong need to end his centuries of meaningless existence and bring light to his darkness. But first she must overcome her own guilt for she is torn between two men whom she love dearly, torn over her loyalty to the brother who has given her so much over the centuries, and the need to follow her heart and be with the man who seemed to fill her life like nothing ever had.

DARK CHALLENGE is an exciting story filled with plenty of actions and sensuality. What I liked most about this book is the fact that Desari is a true Carpathian with immense powers. The continuous banter between her and Julian were fun to read, and it was refreshing to see a female who didn't freak out too much about being bound to her lifemate. Another good thing is the involvement of her so-called family, a bunch of ancient Carpathians, who have lived for centuries thinking that they were the last of their race. And watch out for Desari's brother Darius. With his power and mysteriousness, you would want to read about his story, which is the next book after this (DARK FIRE).

I really enjoyed reading this, although I would have loved to see Desari and Darius reunited with their older brother Gregori. That's why I can't wait to read DARK MELODY, as the long-awaited reunion apparently happens in that book.

"Dark Challenge" is the 5th book in Christine Feehan's wonderfully sensual "Dark" series, and it is another winner. Full of passion and true love, danger and excitement, this is a book you don't want to miss.
Julian Savage, a powerful Carpathian and twin brother to Aidan from "Dark Gold", has tired of his life of endless darkness and has decided to end it all by greeting the dawn. But before he ends his life he first must carry out one last mission for his prince - he must warn a singer known as Desari that her life is in danger from a secret society of vampire hunters. Julian tracks down Desari at one of her concerts and is shocked to notice that he is seeing in colour for the first time in centuries, which can mean only one thing - that Desari is his lifemate! Only minutes after his amazing discovery, an attempt is made on Desari's life as bullets spray the stage. But Julian isn't about to let his one chance at salvation die, so he gives blood to Desari to keep her alive.
It's not long before Julian makes a second shocking discovery when he finds out that Desari is indeed a Carpathian, and that she and four other Carpathians including her brother Darius have been alive and well for centuries without anyone knowing of their existence.
Desari is wary of Julian at first and is disconcerted by the power he has over her. She feels an intense physical and emotional pull towards him, but she does not know for sure if she can trust him. Desari is extremely powerful in her own right and is determined to maintain her freedom. Julian on the other hand desperately wants to keep his lifemate safe, and believes that her singing in front of thousands of people is just asking for trouble.
Though Desari is not sure what to make of Julian, she cannot resist the feelings he brings to life inside of her. When Desari succumbs to the passion she feels for Julian, the reader is treated to some incredibly sexy scenes! Julian and Desari are a perfect match for one another and their fiery personalities and great determination will have readers falling in love with them.
But while Julian and Desari try to work out their personal problems, they must always be on the alert for the human vampire hunters tracking them and for the undead, who are always drawn to female Carpathians. In addition to these external threats, Julian must deal with Desari's brother, Darius, who has been his sister's protector for hundreds of years and is not willing to just let Julian take over. There is lots of tension between Julian and Darius, much to Desari's dismay, and these two powerful Carpathians slowly but surely come to terms with one another. And it's a very good thing that they have learned to work (grudgingly) together, because a painful secret from Julian's past is about to come back to haunt him, and it's going to take all of Julian and Darius' combined strength to destroy the ancient evil they are about to confront!
"Dark Challenge" is a truly wonderful read. The characters are all vivid and intriguing, and the thrilling storyline will keep readers glued to the pages. Christine Feehan skilfully pulls readers into her magical world of Carpathians and doesn't let go. This book will leave readers utterly satisfied and will have all of us craving a Carpathian of our own. So don't hesitate, "Dark Challenge" is a captivating tale that comes highly recommended, so buy it today.

I love this series. The Dark series has been a joy to read. I'm trying to read them slowly so that I will have time to cheris them but I want to fly right through all of them.
This is the 5th book in the series and Julian's story. He is Aidan's twin and the man Gregori had guarding his lifemate Savannah until they mated. His assignment is to warn a beautiful singer named Desari that her life is in danger from the vampire hunters. He suddenly discovers that Desari is his lifemate and also Carpathian. She and her brother Darius escaped with four other children many centuries ago the hunters and have been living with out the knowledge that other Carpathians other than those who have turned vampire still live. Desari and Darius are Gregori's long lost siblings.
Desari is not to keen on the idea of Julian being her lifemate. She likes her freedom and is quite powerful on her own. She struggles with his need to control her and protect her. She wants an equal. He is also struggling with this and is learing how to give a little. He must also battle a dark secret he has carried with him for centuries. This secret could destroy them all and he must seek it out and kill it before it hurts them.
Darius, Desari's older brother is quite a force to deal with also. He has had to learn everything on his own and protect his family unit. He is very leary of Julian but comes to respect him and his abilities to protect his family. His story is next. I can't wait. There are also some very interesting supporting characters that I would be interested in reading thier stories.
I am so glad I found this series and will enjoy it for years to come. Keep writing Christine!

Dark Challenge by Christine Feehan is about Julian Savage and Desari. Julian is a powerful Carpathian alpha male who has met his match in soulful singer and Carpathian lifemate, Desari. Julian has been asked to watch over and protect Desari from human vampire hunters not knowing that she is his lifemate. Except, it gets to her too late.

By the time Julian gets to Desari, she has been mortally wounded. He saves her by giving her his blood and binds her to him through a Carpathian ritual. He also realizes during this time that she is Carpathian and that her "family" are Carpathians as well. Julian believes Desari and her brother, Darius, are brother and sister to one of the most powerful ancient Carpathians, Gregori.

Julian has never encountered a powerful Carpathian female before Desari. Her independence and her abilities throw him for a loop. He wants to protect her, but he has to realize that Desari is no fledgling who needs to be constantly supervised. It takes time also for Desari to understand what it means to be Carpathian and what being a lifemate means.

cThis is one of the better Carpathian stories from Mrs. Feehan, but truthfully, I found myself wanting to skip through some parts until scenes with Darius, Desari's brother and Syndil and Barak, Desari's other family members, came up. Their characters were more interesting to me. 4 stars!

This book, like the ones preceding it, just have way too much mushy romantic drivel. Not enough plot, or interesting info about the enemy, the bad guys after them. Too much sex is in there, imo. Way too much. The whole of the books could be 70 pages long, maybe even less, if they just limited it to ONE steamy sex scene it would be enough, we'd get the point. But the lifemates can't even have a conversation without sexualizing every single point amidst the conversation. It gets very tedious.

I notice that the bad guys humans are seriously warped and psychotic specimens of humanity. They aren't like pure-minded priestly ascetics that sincerely believe Carpathians are just all blood drinking vampires - they are all serial killer types, sadists, the worst scum of the human race. It's overblown, overdone. Sure, she has it in there now that vamps are controlling these humans for their own ends - but serious researches wouldn't pick the scum of the earth for this kind of job. There would also be, logically, a military application to studying the Carpathian blood, yet we haven't seen that in the plots yet. It's all very scanty.

The females, every one of them so far, the author either thinks this, or she makes her characters think it - think that to be "independent feminists" they have to be idiotic, too-stupid-to-live, spoiled brats, stomping their feet insisting on cutting off their own noses to spite their faces. A strong woman, one with real inner strengh and not the plastic outward appearance of strength, would give up these transient notions and take real responsibility for their species: BREED. And then raise them all to be fighters with skills, including martial arts. They have a SPECIES to preserve and they dally around too much.

I like Dara, and it is clear to me that a BIG meeting is called for, so that ALL of them can learn some serious skills; Dara is an ancient, she has serious skills.

I would have liked Savannah in the last book; Gregori's lifemate (Darius and Dara are Gregori's brother and sister!), but Raven (Savannah's formerly human mother), I agree with Gregori on this, did Savannah no favor deluding her to think she could live like a human. She can not. It is not possible. She is NOT human - period. Raven should be accused of a crime for keeping her daughter a moron and giving her delusions. And of course, it takes pages and repititious pages worth, a whole book, for the females to "get it."

This book takes on a new angle at least: Julian's shadow from prior contamination with a vampire.

I don't like this series that much at all, so far. It's boring. The readership is not a bunch of hormones-on-feet teenagers all bug-eyed for sex scenes. We are adults and we'd like s ome meat to the plot lines, we'd like to see more of what is going on. More plot, not just repititious "you are the light to my darkness" (sex scene); "you are so beautiful" (sex scene); "my lifemate" (sex scene) - and please, let characters have a conversation we are all interested to hear without the page being filled with sexualized mush between every sentence.

Gregori the Carpathian healer sends his best vampire hunter Julian to protect the female from the stupidity of the human vampire hunters who think she is a bloodsucker. Besides wanting to keep her safe, Gregori feels the centuries old weary Julian needs something else to do in order to keep him from choosing the eternal rest. The goal of protecting the girl will keep Julian from dwelling on the mistake of allowing a vampire to once use him and threaten his people.
However, a miracle occurs as he recognizes the woman's song. Desari is not human. She is Carpathian and his soulmate. He realizes she and small band must be survivors from a Turkish massacre centuries ago. Desari's brother Darius who has kept the group alive does not trust this so-called Carpathian claiming to be his sister's life mate. As he grows darker in outlook, Julian's needs for Desari grows even though he worries that he has brought the group to the attention of the ancient vampire that destroyed Julian's own life.
The fifth Christine's Feehan's "Dark" tale, DARK CHALLENGE, continues one of the best vampiric romance series on the market today. The story line retains the freshness and excitement of the previous novels. As with those books, this tale continues to focus on the Carpathian race through the eyes of deep enchanting characters. Readers will empathize with Julian's plight, marvel at Darius' leadership abilities, and relish Desari's song. Ms. Feehan has cast another love spell on her adoring audience who will want book six released rather quickly.

Harriet Klausner

Christine Feehan is an unbelievable author. She has created a genre all her own and has hooked this reader forever!
Although each "Dark" book is unique, Dark Challenge held you captivated for more than one reason. It introduced you to some of the history of the Carpathians, including Gregori's family believed to have died in the Turk Wars and of the two ancient twins - Gabriel and Lucien. It was also the first romance between two ancient Carpathians.
Desari was the singer targeted by the human assassins. Gregori sent Julian to warn her of the impending threat. She is beautiful, she is powerful and she is an Ancient Carpathian female. She also happens to be Gregori's sister and Julian's lifemate. Let the games begin :)
Julian Savage, brother to Aidan (of Dark Gold) and student of the great healer Gregori (Dark Magic) has given up and is willing to meet the dawn. With one last task to complete he is prepared to face the sun and rid himself of this solitary existence and the dark shadow in his soul. Little did he know his last task would be protecting his lifemate and her band. Talk about family problems! Darius, her older brother (who just happens to remind him of a certain healer), two unattached males (Dayan and Barack), an unattached female (Syndil) and those crazy leopards! Gregori was going to owe him big-time for this favor ... but he was more than up to the task!
This book had everything: love, romance, intrigue, adventure and humor. Read it, you won't be sorry!

Ok, I'm taking a plunge here...I'm only giving this book 3 stars. Let me begin by saying I did enjoy reading the latest Carpathian novel by Ms. Feehan. I loved the idea that Deseri is a full-grown Carpathian female with substantial powers of her own. The growth of Julian's respect and understanding of the females of his race is great to see. The yin-yang relationship between the male and his lifemate, and the incredulous dawning or understanding of what the female Carpathian can do is fascinating. (Most Carpathian woman were killed and only a very few young ones remain. Therefore, the males do not know what the potential for the female is, they just assume they are weaker, when in fact they are not). This part of the book is what I felt kept the story up to a 3 star rating.
I found while reading this book, that Ms. Feehan becomes very repetitive. We know from the other stories and after the first time she writes it in Dark Challenge, that male Capathians are protective of their womanfolk. That's a part of the main appeal in reading these stories, seeing the alpha male. But over and over again we see this stated. Once would be enough. We know that Julian is a loner (and learn why), but this is also drummed into the reader over and over. I hate to say this about a romance novel, but I even found the love scenes repetitive. I found myself getting bored at these scenes, and that NEVER happens to me. Each scene was the same as the one before it. There might have been 6 or 7 love scenes, but there may as well only have been one.
I also felt that this story ended a bit abruptly. The whole book we are waiting for Julian's nemesis to appear. He shows up and the story ends within 3 pages. This all-powerful vampire was not so powerful and it was an easy kill for Julian. Actually, the other vampires which threatened this "family unit" earlier in the book is more detailed and interesting to read about than the climax. I also do not like the fact that we have little contact with the other characters from the other stories. We have a brief contact between Julian and Gregori and once again we find that we don't see any of the other Carpathians. I would have thought that Gregori or Adrian would have rushed to Julian's side. Nor do we see a reunion between Julian and Adrian, (although it is briefly mentioned as something that will happen in the future). Very disappointing. There were just too many things in this book which kept it from being truly a great book, it was only average.

I have to say, after scanning the other reviews, I was afraid I would be disappointed in this book. Wrong! I do believe it is my favorite out of the four I have read by Ms. Feehan this week. In the past books in this series, Julian has been portrayed as the dark brooding soul who is about to end it all. After centuries of hunting down Carpathians who have turned vampire, he feels he must end his life. Apparently the Carpathian males must find their life mates. If they don't they lose the ability to feel emotions and see colors. They live in the gray area of life until they either meet the sun and end it all or turn to the other side and become the dread vampire. Julian also carries a dark secret in his soul that forced him to separate himself from friends and his twin. Julian makes the decision to greet the sun when he is asked to do one last favor. He must warn a singer that she is being stalked. Julian finds the singer and her family just before they are about to begin a concert. Suddenly there is an assassination attempt and before Julian can react he finds there is more. He has found his life mate and she is about to die. What made this book so special for me was the complete change in Julian, as he has to learn to cope with the changes in his life and fight to protect his woman. Things don't quite as smoothly as they should because Julian's woman has a mind of her own, and a big brother whose not about to let some male invade his domain and take charge of his family. Let the fireworks begin!

I had a difficult time getting through this book. I started it, then put it aside to finish at another time. I think Ms Feehan tired to do to much in the book. She introduces a lost Branch of Gregori's family, which has Julian's lifemate in it. She is a Carpathian female. Ancient and powerful in her own right. The group also includes her brother, Darius and several others ( including another female) that Darius saved when all in their village was killed. Desari is the first ancient female that Julian has encountered and he is not certain how to handle her. Darius is also extremely protective of the family unit and resents Julian. Part of the problem with this book is that to this point in the history of these people it has been that couples don't have children except hundred of years apart. Darius and Desari are very close in age, just years apart. Females have always been very fragile, hardly any survive past the first year. But Darius saves both, alone, as a teenager. Gregori doesn't seem to be impressed that Julian has found his lost brother and sister.

I have read mixed reviews for this book of the series, I can say that I found this every bit as good as the best of the rest and better than some of the earlier ones. I like the fact that the characters spend more time talking and working things out and less time having sex at the drop of a hat. The passion is still there and still well written but FINALLY the Carpathians have to deal with family issues. I think it adds a great deal to the story.
Now to address some other reviewers issues. They complain that Gregori doesn't come running in the story when his sister and brother are found. 1 Where is the space in this story?- I wouldn't have wanted her to cut a thing for that. 2. His sister was going to be ahem - busy with Julian (remember they don't have much choice in timing certain urges) and his brother is near turning from lack of a lifemate. Yeah I'd want to get to know a brother that is either about to suicide or become a monster - NOT. Remember Gregori has already had to kill friends, I am sure he would not want to add siblings to the list.
I liked the fact that there was more to the story than boy and girl are forced together by chemistry. I hope she continues on this more story rich vein. There are only so many ways two people can get together, it is nice to read a few times but more than that in every story and it is the character developement and storyline that would have to be cut for bedroom time. I like reading more about the interaction between everyone.
Read this book, you will not be sorry.

Feehan has done it again, producing another memorable episode to the Dark Series, this time with Julian, twin of Aidan of Dark Gold fame.
This is not the best book in the series. In my opinion, that honour remains with Dark Desire while my favourite hero remains Jacques. When will we hear anything any news of Jacques and Shea Ms. Feehan? Have they had any children? Are they part of the Carpathian world or have they opted to distance themselves from it?
DC might not be the best book in the series but it is still great. Better, in my opinion than Dark Gold and as good as Dark Magic. It introduces more new characters which we shall surely meet again and which provide good fodder for future "Darks". It also deals more in depth with the female Carpathians, which received very sketchy treatment in the rest of the series. Other reviewers seem to have forgotten that Dark Prince introduced two ancient females (three actually - there was also Mikhail's sister but she was murdered) and all had to be as old, or older than Desari and Syndil (Mikhail's sister was the youngest female and Mikhail's parents died around the same time as the parents of Grigori, Desari and Darius).
This book also contains more background than the previous book, more details on the catastrophic annhilation of most of the Carpathian race during the Turkish invasion and of the involvement of the undead, and the story of Gabriel and Lucian (is it a co-incidence that these were named after the Archangel and the Head of the Devils?). I got the impression that we would get to know these two better in the future. It is not that clear that they died.
I was a bit disappointed that the book offered no closure with regards to Syndil and Barack's story. Everything seems to indicate that they are lifemates and Barack might not have realised because constant exposure to his lifemate might have meant that he never lost the ability to feel or see in colour (??!!). But isn't the urge to join with a lifemate supposed to be irresistable? Isn't the joining ritual supposed to be embedded in the ancient memory of Carpathian males?
I also expected Gregori to show a bit more eagerness to meet his lost family. After all he had thought them dead for a hundreds of years. Instead he seems to hold himself aloof.
It's also about time the protagonists of the first two books started appearing again - they're the Carpathians we first got to know and love and I, for one, feel cheated about the manner in which they have disappeared from the scene.
ANyway, do not take any notice of these minor complaints - as you can see, I still gave the book five stars - it has the tension and the passion (and the men) of all the Dark series. I can't wait for the next one - according to Ms. Feehan's website, it will deal with Darius' story. It will be great watching that might one fall.
I am also looking forward to Ms. Feehan's gothic romance. The excerpts which I have read are extremely promising

"Dark Challenge" was different from the other Dark series. The story was great, new characters were involved,I loved the idea of having found Gregori's lost brother (Darius) and sister (Desari). The love between Julian and Desari was wonderful, after suffering for centuries being alone, isolated and carrying the dark shadow within him he finally sees the light, Desari was a good match with her enchanting voice and powers. What touched my heart was the "family unit" how they had survived all these centuries staying together under the protection of Darius. I hope there would be a story on Darius, he certainly got me curious. I couldn't help but wonder if there would be a story on Gabriel and Lucian i think it would be great.I loved the tension between the new introduced charaters, Barack and Syndil. As always Christine Feehan's work is more than fantastic,i truly recommend this book.

This book was good, though not the best in the series.

With the word "Dark" in so many of the titles, it can be confusing. This is one of a few, recent, reissues. the store states it in their product description, but these publishers seem to like to downplay reissues. I read all available titles in the Series several years ago. Feehan got into writing about wolves and shift shapers, that wasn't my cup of tea, so I stopped keeping up with her new releases. I just decided to see if she had written anything new in the Series. This was was recently reissued and at first glance, I thought this was a new book, but it's not. The cover has changed. If you're anything like me, you don't like purchasing reissues, unless that's your intent.

Extremely excellent book. I love this series and have read this book twice.. Charcters are wonderful.. The author makes you get lost into the story, where you can Envision yourself as one of the characters. Highly recommend

I love Ms. Feehan dark series novels. However, after reading the first 4 dark prince, dark desire, dark gold, dark magic i found that dark challenge has several weakness compare to the others. I applaud Feehan for bringing about new characters and creating a strong female heroine in this book, however the book went on and on and didn't really create a convincing attraction between the two heroes. I fell in love with dark magic and think it's the best one yet. Dark challenge only get 2 stars because the book was repetitive in retelling the Carpathians story and didn't really progress in showing a more convincing relationship between the characters introduce. I felt that Feehan gave only a glimpse of each character, even the main heroes and was very fustrated in the fact that she dealt more with fighting seen then with the loving seen. There was more sexual context then romance-love context. I do recommend reading it though because you do get to meet other characters and revel in the heroine power and beauty.

Desari and Julian have a love affair that is spell binding. She is an ancient with great powers of her own. He has never encountered a group of Carpathians who do not know of their history. They have learned to survive on their own. Great read!

I was greatly looking forward to the release of this book but I was disappointed in the story. I had expected more from the main character, Julian, though I can't exactly put my finger on what was missing. Another secondary character, Darius, was much more interesting and caught my attention more than Julian ever was able to. Based on a synopsis of upcoming novels, it appears that Darius will be the key character in the next Dark Series book and I, for one, am looking forward to that. The main female character, Desari, was interesting in that she was the first female character we've seen with a good grasp of her own powers. My only problem with this character was that her powers seemed so much more passive than those of her male counterparts. While I understand that the females are supposed to be the light to the darkness of the males, I felt that her powers should have been a bit more active since she was supposed to be an ancient in her own right. Even though I was disappointed I still think this book is worth reading. For any other author, this would be a great book. I just expect a bit more from this author based on her other novels.

Julian Savage, (Aidan's twin from Dark Gold) has been sent off with a task from Gregori, to warn and protect Desari, a singer who has been targeted by the vampire hunters because of her talent. When Julian shows up, he recognises her as his lifemate. Unfortunately, the hit team sent by the hunters succeeds in infiltrating the gig, and shoots up the stage. Julian starts the process of binding Desari to him, but is chased off by a large black leopard, who doesn't act like a normal animal at all. After ensuring himself that Desari will live, Julian goes out to recover, then follows Desari, and seduces her into bonding with him. The vampire hunters have not given up, and continue to harrass Desari, her band the Dark Troubadors and Julian.

It was great, book number 5, on to read book 6, which is about Radius and Tempest i believe, I also think Barack's story is merged into there. This series is good for anyone who likes good and bad vampires, magic, soulmates, happy endings

It was wonderful for Julian to finally find his lifemate and to be able to receive his reward for all he had done for his people. It was also fun to learn how much Darius was able to achieve as a small child and how he was able to protect the younger children.

This one is my favorite in the Carpatian series because Feehan finally has a heroine who's really the equal of the hero and because Julian isn't quite as arrogant and bossy as the other heroes have been.

Desari is just as strong/gifted in her own way as Julian is, and she makes sure he understands that. She doesn't spend most of the book fretting over her situation as his lifemate, and she has strong loyalties to others besides Julian (her family). These family dymanics plus the tension between Julian as a loner and Desari as very family-oriented add welcomed additional elements to the plot and the characterizations.

There is still an element of repetitiveness, but it is MUCH less is this entry than in previous books. In fact, this book was enough different that I might continue the series. I give this one just under 4 stars.

I love Christine Feehan. I love the Dark series. This book, though, didnt agree with me. Dont get me wrong, the imagery in the book was great but the vibe just wasnt there for me. Julian was a strong character and so was Desari but a story about them meeting one moment then falling for each other the next without any action just didnt paint a picture worth reading about for me. I did read the whole book and I was disappointed that Feehan did not bring Gregori into play since Desari and Darius were his long lost siblings. *sigh* In the long run, I think if one read just this book alone it would be alot better but since it followed four other books that rocked my world...this one just came up...two stars short of a bunch.

In this installment of the Carpathians series, our second golden twin, Julian Savage, finds his lifemate in the singer, Desari, known as Dara to her family. Astonishingly, the discovery leads to another 4 Carpathians who no one knew of, two of whom are siblings to Gregori, the race's most renowned healer. The two "sides" must begin to learn about each other and the experiences each has shared, separate from the others, while finding a way to defeat Julian's biggest enemy.

Hooray, she finally has a plot! I'm so relieved. While I've loved the idea of the Carpathians from book one, each story up until this one seemed to fall flat on storyline while over-indulging in melodramatic fight scenes and extended sexual encounters that really get boring after the first go-round. With this installment, our heroine has lived as long as our hero (longer, perhaps), and has as much power as he does from the start, so we don't have the long, fearful "I can't be like you! ::swoon::" moments. The focus instead is on fighting those who have turned vampire, and trying to get used to the different ways each lives their life. I was a bit perplexed by how completely uninterested Gregori seemed in the fact that his siblings had been discovered after CENTURIES of thinking them dead, but what do I know?

Okay, I waited until I got to this book to write a review because I thought the series would improve which it did by Dark Gold. I found Dark Magic a bit more of an improvment but not by much. Got to Dark Challenge and thought okay, so variety isn't Ms. Feehans forte.

First of all, what's up with the 'tiny fragile useless women'? Not all women have narrow waist, fragile see through skin or are completely wimpy! Ms. Feehan needs to watch Xena Warrior princess. Even Gabrielle got tough and started kicking some butt.

And what's up with the men being the knuckle-dragging-chest beating-neanderthals? In this day and age, which I'm assuming these books are taking place, these men would have either gotten their nether regions kicked or cut off for acting this way.

Jane would have shoved Tarzan right off the highest tree branch if he did some of the things these 'heros' have done.

After reading the first four books, I was beginning to think that Ms. Feehan was a big supporter of John Norman (and for those of you who've read him, you know what I'm talking about. For those of you who haven't, he doesn't think very highly of women, unless they're a rug or a punching bag).

I'll read the next one in hopes that it'll get better. If not then I may have to smoke a bong for the next few, that way I won't care if they're good or not.

Christine Feehan's newest book, DARK CHALLENGE, is a fabulous addition to the DARK series. Each book has a different feel to it and keeps me enthralled from beginning to end! It just keeps getting better and better! If you haven't read any of these books, start with Dark Prince and work your way up - you won't be disappointed.
Julian Savage is powerful hunter for his people, the Carpathians. He expertly hunts vampires, the undead, who torture and kill his people as well as humans. He has had to live a solitary life, sometimes even hunting down old friends who turned vampire. But he does his duty, without fail. Separated from family, totally alone, he finally finds his lifemate. Their new relationship is only part of the story - someone is out to hunt down Desari and Julian must protect her at all costs while dealing with her family and an enemy from his troublesome past.
The characters in Dark Challenge are fresh and the story takes a twist that leaves the door open for so many more possibilities! A roller coaster ride of emotions, this book had me laughing out loud at the lively banter and interaction between the characters. The family unit is very tight-knit and the heroine's brother, Darius, is awesome! I can see the legion of readers who will be begging for his story just like they did for Gregori! The sizzling romance had my toes curling and the emotional intensity touched me to tears. If you want to read a hot love story, this is the book for you! Julian and Desari are electric! I felt as if I was right there in the middle of all the action. One thing about these books is the respect the characters have for the earth, the animals, the elements. An appreciation that is beautiful to watch. The secondary story is very intriguing as well and I'm hoping we see more with the other family members in upcoming books.
It is a story about light balancing out the dark. A story about love, peace, renewal and forgiveness. A story about learning, trusting, sacrifice and honor, not only for your mate, but for your family. In Julian and Desari we see a love that shines from their souls, a timeless touch of perfection, a joyful sharing of self.
If I had to make a complaint about this book - it is only that it ended too soon!

Finally the author provides a strong female to these males. It is good to know the women have gifts that grow over the centuries . If they can survive the human oppression, I see happiness I. The future.

This book is a classic staple of dark fantasy/paranormal and romance genres! Extremely developed characters, good plot (not too complicated, not too shallow), good romance (both in bed and out!), over-all excellent book. Worth every penny, you won't be disappointed!! Please note that while you can read this book without reading any of the other "Dark" series books, you may enjoy this book even more if you have read the preceeding books. A book you can definitely read over and over!

This book rates five stars for plot, character development, and romance. I was hooked from the moment that Julian's colors and emotions were restored just from his hearing Desari's voice and song from back stage. His quest to claim her as his lifemate, while trying to slide around the other Carpathians males was hilarious.

I feel the relationship between Julian and Desari flowed more fluidly since Desari was an ancient Carpahian female; therefore, the story was able to bypass the usual angst of conversion that sometimes slows down the story with human lifemates. Also, Julian had to work harder to reign in his alpha maleness because not only was Desari as powerful a Carpathian as he, she belonged to a singing group of "lost" Carpathians and she was not going to just leave the band to run off with Julian. He had to adjust to living on the road within family unit.

The first four books were exceptional with the focus of Carpathans finding lifemates with human females, but I was curious of what Carpathian women were like since they were barely mentioned previously. I was pleased with the description of Desari and Syndil being tall, elegant, graceful, and possessing their own unique power. I was very intriqued by the relationship of Barack and Syndil and Darius is as sexy and alpha as his brother Gregori.

This on is a winner and ranks very high in my Dark collection.

Christine Feehan's world of Carpathians enthralled me from the start, and Dark Challenge was no exception. While the story line takes on a far different tone than the other books, the wit and sarcasm of Julian adds a new dimension to the Carpathian men not previously seen. I will agree with other reviewers that the inclusion of other characters makes this a more intricate read, however I felt they only added to the lure of the series.
The building rivalry between Julian and Darius further informs the reader about the dominant/possessive tendencies of the Carpathian men. All in all I found this one of the most enjoyable books in the serious. Go ahead, delve into the world of Carpathians... You'll never look at vampires the same way again!

I have mixed feelings about this book. This is an unusual Feehan, or so I gather, because this is the story of a powerful Carpathian male (a hunter aged over 1000 years) meeting his match in a powerful Carpathian female (another ancient, of about the same age or 10 years younger) and her brother whose powers - learned in *isolation* - equal or surpass those of the hero.
Warning at the beginning - if you don't like books in which part of the thrill is seeing the hero being tested, really tested (and I don't mean in the erotic sphere) by other men, this is not the book for you. Come to think of that, you should also avoid Dark Legend. I happen to think this aspect is fascinating, because I have never really seen any Feehan hero being challenged by another ancient male. Not to mention, being forced to live with other ancient males by his lifemate, because she will not leave her group.
This book, along with DARK FIRE, is set in a subset of Carpathian society, which grew in complete isolation from the mainstream. It has its own laws, in effect. And the "Prince" of this society is Darius - who is not the hero. There are three males and two females who form the group, and they are reeling as much from the unexpected defection of a fourth male and its consequences, as from what happens when Julian makes his presence felt. Julian himself has to cope with moving from being very much a loner, to learning to live in a group, and to share his lifemate with the others who are effectively her brothers and sister, if not of the same womb then by a shared lifetime.
I haven't read all the other Feehan books, and I don't usually read vampire books or paranormal romances. [Asaro and Bradley aside... but they are SFF writers]. I am therefore judging this book on its own merits.
Is this a successful romance? I think so, despite the fact that a lot of the novel's energy is expended on the complicated group interactions, and even more on the conflicts between the hero and the heroine's brother. After all, the couple meet, they fall for each other, they miss each other, and they have a happy ending (or so we hope).
Is this an interesting story? You bet it was. For someone relatively new to Feehan, this book explained a lot about Carpathian society, especially their ancient history and lifestyle, which changed considerably after 1400. [Keep in mind that *all* the Dark series are set after 1900]. It also raised some questions, and it fed some information about what happened to the others - particularly the legendary twins Gabriel and Lucian.
This is not a typical Dark novel, I suspect for all the reasons I explained. Julian is a loner by choice, if a cruel and enforced choice. He meets up with his lifemate, who is not a young nubile Carpathian female (well, she is nubile but not young). She is no converted human psychic, and nor a tough female cop. She is an ancient Carpathian female, the first to appear in this series along with her foster sister Syndil. I happen to like this setup. Others may not, especially if they prefer the more usual story of a human converted to a Carpathian.
Rating = 4.4
Recommended = highly, especially for insights into Carpathian history and sociology
P.S. I don't think it is fair to critique this book for the non-appearance of old characters, because Dark Magic has the same flaw (Gregori aside), and so do Dark Legend and Dark Guardian. Especially in the two latter, where the legendary ancient hunters, older than even the Prince (whose story is the first book), there is even less excitement in Carpathian society. Please judge this book on its own merits, and not on the fact that no old favorites appear.

I gave this book a 4 star review due to the fact that it wasnt as good as Mrs.Feehan's "Dark Fire" book, but it was a very close call.This book is also very unique, and excellently written, however, if in a romance, equilibrium of the sexs isn't an appeal, dont read this.
In the story,among the most powerful Carpathian hunters (Immortal beings who, if unsuccessful in finding a lifemate, turns vampire.)is Julian Savage, the brother of Aiden Savage in Dark Gold. Julien is sent by the Dark One, Gregory , on a "last" assignment, to protect the famous singer sister of Darius, before he dies meeting the dawn.
What Julien doesnt suspect is that his last assignment causes him to have to change a few plans about dying. Desari, the beautifully mystical singer who is also an ancient Carpathian, is his life-mate. If that is not enough for Julien, the "woman" has powers that can render her the most powerful Carpathian female. So, with obsticals such as brothers and vampire hunters, the stubborn and desirable Desari and the formidable Julien, may be "forced" to join lives for eternity, to save themselves and the Carpathian species.TO FIND OUT WHAT THE HECK ALL THIS MEANS, AND TO UNCOVER THE UNSAID, READING IT WOULD BE A FABULOUS IDEA

First, let me just say that I thought this book was actually pretty good when compared with Mrs Feehan's other books, excellent when compared to what romance publishers have been producing lately. Still, it was no Dark Gold or Dark Desire.
My biggest complaint was the ending. Ok sure, Julian's fight with his life long enemy lasted 2 secs long. I can get over that, but the fact that Syndil and Barack's characters never reached any resolution was just poor taste. What the heck happened? I cant imagine Christine will devote an entire book on Barack and Syndil. Will we ever know if they are lifemates or not? I found the situation between those two characters way more interesting then the principle leads. Barack, who treats Syndil as a sister, yet has feelings for her, and doesnt realize that she is his lifemate because until Julian showed up, none of the other males even knew what one was. AWSOME! The fact that Christine "hinted" the pair were life mates was obvious. I thought for sure once Barack and Syndil merged minds he would find out she has feelings for him. But nope. Nothing! I couldn't believe when I flipped the page and there was only an add for one of Christine's next books that's not even part of the "Dark.." series!
Anyway, if you are first time reader of Christine's I would recomend Starting from the begining and working your way through. This book was nothing you couldn't wait and read later.

"Dark Challenge" is a good addition to the "Dark" series by Feehan, with well-drawn characters and Feehan's usual smooth writing.
I appreciated that this particular addition to the series involved a woman who had her own powers, and could not and would not be dominated by her lifemate. I have grown uncomfortable with the males' constant attempts to dominate their lifemates in previous installments of this series. And I appreciated learning that the female Carpathians do eventually develop their own powers.
The relationship between the two "main" characters, Dara and Julian, is strong and well-developed, and their clashes provide humor and playfulness not always evident in this relatively dark, tortured series. And the secondary characters are all well-drawn and strong.
Unfortunately, as other reviewers have noted, Feehan did so good a job of developing the secondary characters that they sometimes overwhelm the "featured couple." Especially strong is Darius, whose brooding protectiveness and fierce hunting and healing instincts made him, in the end, a more interesting character than Julian. And, personally, I thought Julian deserved better.
One of the weaknesses of this series is that Feehan introduces villains, but those villains never seem all that dangerous compared to the fierce Carpathian males. In this particular installment, the "villain" is especially weak, and not particularly interesting. I could have lived without that kind of struggle at all.
As usual, this particular installment features good writing and character development, with good erotic scenes. All the characters are interesting and well-drawn. I think it's worth it just to get some background on Darius as we prepare for his story!

I really enjoyed the other books by Christine Feehan in the Dark Series, especially Jaques and Gregori's. However, this book was a disappointment. From her references to Julian in the prior books I was given the impression of a really mysterious, dark and tortured soul like Gregori and Jaques. I was VERY much looking forward to Julian's story. However, in this book which was supposed to be Desari's (Dara) and Julian's story, I was more interested in Darius. He was the tortured soul in this book. Julian really didn't seem all that tortured or broken up...just tired and then kinda playful. I did like the other characters introduced, but I totally didn't buy the subtle references regarding Syndil's and Barak's relationship. I just know we're gonna get hit with a book where for hundreds of years they lived together as "brother" and "sister" and didn't know they were really lifemates? Yeah, right. I thought males automatically zeroed in on their lifemate and hung on until hell froze over? And yet while Barak and Syndil were inseparable as children and very close, when puberty hit he went off like a tomcat for hundred's of years, jumping on any human female who'd stay still with his "unknown" lifemate watching the show? I DON"T think so. Way to hard to swallow. Given the way males are supposed to chemically react with their lifemate, Barak would have jumped on Syndil and never even looked at human females. If the author creates a story with Barak and Syndil as lifemates the total believability regarding the lifemate premiss will be shot to hell. If Christine Feehan reads these reviews, and I hope she does, I really really hope she doesn't do that. It's not to late to save the storyline. I did like the fact that both Syndil and Desari were strong with their own powers which is why I didn't totally pan the book. But I think the overall problem with this book was that the author was side tracked with developing the secondary characters and not enough development was given to the main one's. All I know is I'm really not going to enjoy Barak and Syndil's story...unless Ms. Feehan really does read this review and take's it to heart? Please...pretty please...with sugar on top? A side note...I am looking forward to Darius' story...let's get him a human female who's a wizard with engines...although you'd think one of the males or females in the caravan would have had the patience to learn automotive mechanics over the last 120 years...
:-)

The fifth in the ongoing original saga of the Carpathians, this one introduces us to four new characters as well as the twin, Julian, of the 'hero' in Dark Gold. It also introduces Desari (Dara) a Carpathian Female who is equal in power to Julian, which makes for an interesting situation as none of the Carpathian males (except those in Desari's 'family unit') are used to dealing with Carpathian women who are the equal of their power. It also brings a unique twist into the mix as the two carpathian females introduced to us, each have a unique power that the Carpathian males were unaware that Carpathian women of power have.
This book, I felt, had a deeper depth to it than the last four. It really showed how hard it was for Carpathian males to live together, and showed a deep interaction between the "family unit" of Desari (including a sweet sister relationship between Desari and Syndil, the other female Carpathian). All of the characters were delightfully interesting, and the situation between Julian and the other male Carpathians, especially between Darius and Julian, was quite amusing and real.
This book also sets the stage for more books, introducing the reader to many interesting Carpathians, that I hope will all be seen in their own future books (Especially Darius--I think he will quickly score as high a following as Gregori, if not a higher following. Up until now, I actually liked Jacques the most, but now Darius has quickly tied with him.)
Spoiler here, but it also hints big time that we will be seeing more about the legendary warrior twins, Gabriel and Lucian. I cannot wait to read their story. The story Christine gave in the book set up quite a stage for their stories, and so far Christine has proven that her sequels can stand on their own two feet and do not fall in the trap of most sequels of wearing out the same plot over and over.
I could not put this one down, even though I had to get up at four the next morning for work. I would definitely recommend this book, and it is another that is going on my keeper shelf.

Kudos to Christine for yet another wonderful book in her Dark series. Desari, an ancient Carpathian woman with powerful gifts of her own, and Julien, a solitary Carpathian hunter who has isolated himself from his own kind -- including his twin brother -- to protect the people he loves from the ancient vampire who can track him at will.
I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction of a little Carpathian women's lib into the series. Desari isn't about to let anyone make her decisions for her, not even the gorgeous hunk who's the other half of her soul. And Julien, for all his powers, has a wry wit that I found very entertaining.
Oooh, and so many more intriguing stories have been hinted at. Darius's. The interesting connection between Syndil and Barak. And I can't wait for Lucien's and Gabriel's stories.
Christine is a writer I can count on for a great read. I enjoy the fascinating, passionate, intriguing world she has created. And one of her nicest traits is the way she provides enough information about her world that new readers to the series can pick up any book and not be lost.

Dark Challenge proves to be just as engrossing as Ms. Feehan's previous books in the Dark series. Dark Challenge is the story of Julian (twin brother to Aidan, hero in Dark Gold) and Desari (part of a lost group of Carpathians and sister to Gregori, the hero in Dark Magic). This book sets itself apart from the rest of the series by pairing the hero with an ancient Carpathian female. Up until now we had been dealing with human females converted into Carpathians, or very young Carpathian females mated to ancient males. In book we learn that the females have their own unique gifts and are just as powerful as their male counterparts. The love story between Julian and Desari is a delight to read. Julian, like all male Carpathians is arrogant, and over protective, but he finally meets his match in Desari, a woman just as powerful as he is. Seeing a Carpathian male trying to figure out how to deal with a mate who is his equal will have you laughing out loud several times. Ms. Feehan also introduces us to several intriguing characters who will have her fans clamoring for their stories to be told. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Also recommend, Dark Prince, Dark Desire, Dark Gold, and Dark Magic.

This is my revised review for Dark Challenge.
Dark Challenge is the fifth book in the Dark series. The story centers on Julian Savage, twin brother to Aidan. He is close to turning, believing that there is no hope for him. He is harboring a terrible secret and has willingly distanced himself from his own race and even his twin. He is determined to keep those he loves safe from harm and seek his own death. He wants to die an honorable death.
The great healer and hunter, Gregori, knows this and sends Julian on a mission hoping to save him. He is ordered to warn a group of performers that they are in danger. In so doing, he finds his lifemate, Daria. But Daria is no ordinary female. She is Carpathian and has powers of her own. She is attracted to Julian and afraid, too. Nothing like this has ever happened to her or the group that she is travelling with. Enter - Darius.
He is the formidable leader of this group of missing Carpathians. From that very first page, he took over and cast Julian WAY into the shadows. His torment as he wrestled with the darkness was much more evident that Julian's. I felt the desperation he had as the beast within him roared for release. He would make a very formidable enemy for he is RAW power.
I'm not going to give anything away here but there are a few surprises in store for the reader!! There are also the other members of the group that are very interesting. No doubt, their stories will be available in the near future.
Dark Challenge is filled with sensual love scenes, humor, sadness and of course, Darius. Poor Julian never had a chance once such a dynamic Carpathian entered the fold. Nevertheless, I recommend it highly for the reader will get an insight into Darius' struggle with the darkness.

I have all of Christine Feehan books that have been published to date. I read them over so many times that I am replacing them with new books. I have all of the new ones preordered. I would like to have them come out sooner.

This is the wonderful fifth installment of Christine Feehan's "Dark Series". Julian Savage an ancient has traveled the world for centuries mostly in solitude running with the wild animals and flying with the birds. When he has reached about the end of his wanting to live any longer in this existence, Julian is given one last opportunity to be of assistance to his Prince and protect a female singer and her band from human assassins. When he walks into the concert hall and hears her voice for the first time he is thrown for a loop when he starts seeing in colors for the first time in centuries. This book is the story of Julian's discovery of his lifemate Desari and her family. Julian has to learn to live within a family unit which is very difficult for him to do since he has been so alone for so long. Christine has created a wonderful species called the Carpathians who are immortal and try to live right beside humans. I truly look forward to her next book in this series.

Have you ever want to read a book and be able to want to go on to reading the continuation of it. Well the dark series of Christine Feehan will make you want to read everyone of them. I am not being funny. I am serious. One day I accidently bought the wrong book and all of a sudden after reading the first chapter I was intrigued, I could not put it down. All I could do is read, read, and read. When I was done I went back to get the next one not wanting to stop. Yielding to the madness, to the craving that i have created with her books. She is a brilliant author who knows how to intrigue her reader and leave them to want more and wanting to not stop for one second until you have read every last one of them and then wanting to tell the author to write another one just so you can get the chance to read on. If you want to find how wonderful her books are go check them out. You wont regret it. I didn't.

All your secret dark fantasies will spring to life on the pages of this spicy and enthralling paranormal romance. Where centuries of hard earned discipline crumble before beauty in all its innocence, our hero must overcome not only his iron will, but his belief that he's undeserving of his sexy and talented lifemate.

Dark Challenge is a fabulous follow-up to the last book in the "Dark Series", Dark Magic. It catches me by surprise that each book is remarkable and unique in it's own right, and yet spins me in a fascinating journey deeper into the lives of these enthralling Carpathians. Even after a night held tight in the grip of Ms. Feehan's incredible reality, a night of longing sighs, white knuckles, laughter and even some tears, a night pouring over every single page of this book, it's a book that lures me to start back on page one and do it all over again. The beauty and mystery of this talented writer is awesome. She doesn't let you down in this book, but reveals even more secrets and answers to puzzling questions. I can't wait for the next one! I'm not a "vampire" book romance reader, but if, like me, you love plots and stories with depth and characters so real, they make you believe, then you will love this one too!

The novel was fun to read but it really wasn't as wonderful as the other books in the series. I have saved all of the books in the series for weekends where I have time to do nothing but read. It wasn't worth it for Dark Challenge. I thought Desari and Syndil were FABULOUS (strong women always make great stories!) but the story itself left me high and dry. I found myself more interested in Lucian and Gabriel than the main characters. I was also irritated that NONE of the previous characters made an appearence even when it was so clearly needed. If you discovered a long lost sister and brother, wouldn't you come? And what about Julian's brother Aidan? And where the heck was the Prince? Shouldn't he have come to welcome these obviously powerful Carpathians back into the fold or something? In every other book at least one of the "old" characters has made an appearence. Where the heck were they in this one? It would have been a much more interesting story with them present. AND, if Christine Feehan writes a story about Syndil and Barack I will be so disappointed. It will just blow all the other books. Maybe Syndil will match up with Lucian or Gabriel -- now that is a book I would buy AND save for a reading-only weekend!

Don't take me wrong: I liked Feehan's books very much BUT: don't you think this author is repeating herself quite a bit? She write and re-write the same sentences all along this book... Ok he founds light to his darkness... He needs her... This is all so incredeble to him... Ok, we got it! Say something else! You know everything there is to know about this story by reading the resume.... This book is 377 pages but the story could hold into 50 pages... The same events are repeated over and over again. Gregory, how believed his family gone for ever has nothing better to say than... "Ok, Good they live... I'll see them later" ! This gives you an idea of what Feehan has to say in this book. Not much.

Dark Challenge proves to be just as great as Ms. Feehan's other books in the Dark series. Dark Challenge is the story of Julian and Desari This book sets itself apart from the rest of the series by both character being Carpathians. In this book we learn that the females have their own unique powers and are just as powerful as their mates. The love story between Julian and Desari is strongly written. Julian, like all male Carpathians is arrogant, and over protective, but he finally meets his match in Desari, a woman just as powerful as he is. Watching Julian trying to figure out how to deal with Desari will have you laughing and maybe a tear or two as well. Julian struggles in this book with a secret which he feels that he can not even tell his mate. There are also some secondary characters. (she has written about one of them in Dark Fire) Great Book! I would Recommend this one.

This book is about family. That is why I liked it, even though we see the love story of Julian and Desari, which is touching although mostly repetitive; it is nice that Ms. Feehan put the couple in the middle of a dysfunctional Carpathian family.

I feel that this family aspect gave the book depth and made things more entertaining as well. It is a keeper. I hope all who buy this book enjoy it as much or more than I did. :-)

as with ms. feehan's other carpathian books, i found this to be an ejoyable, interesting & erotic read - this series is one of the most intriguing, sensual storylines i have ever had the pleasure of reading - i've read all 5 books and have never tired of the storyline, even though there are most definite similarties - how could there not be? while i agree w/the reviews that darius was a main character in this book, i didn't really feel that he overly intruded on dara & julian's story and was very intrigued by his character, particularly now that we know darius' story will be out this summer (i believe august release) - i gave this a deserved 4 star review, which is excellent - i believe 5 star ratings are reserved for, what in my opinion, is exceptional writing (mikhal, jacques & gregori's stories have all deserved 5 stars) - i am hoping that dark fires will earn a 5 star rating as well - really looking forward to it

I love books where there is a love so strong that nothing could could keep them apart. That is why i love this book. Imagine someone looking for you there whole life, loving you so completely and yearing for you every waking minute of their existence. Imagine a Carpathian (from a race of vampire hunters)who could live for hundreds of years but could not enjoy a single one because you wenrn't there. A carpathian male seeks for his soulmate his entire life. All he wants is love and emotion. He would die for you. And if you ever died he would not be able to bare it and he would choose to end his barren life. For without his soulmate he only has half a soul. You must read this, i beg of you.

The Deeeper I get into this series the More I like it. Love the hero & Heroine of this Book...Christine Feehan is an Awesome Writer!! love her books in this Series. The Storylines are Great keeps you interested thru out the whole book!!

I just finished reading all of the "Dark Books" and although Dark Challenge was not the best book in the series it is a helpful stepping stone. The story may have draged a bit, but we were introduced to new people. Of course that means that there will be other books. I sugguest that you read it just for the simple fact that you learn a little something new about their people, meet new ones and learn a bit about them. Plus while we wait for the next book it gives us all a chance to try to think about who should be next and who should go to whom. I personally hope to hear more about Gabriel and Lucian. Who knows maybe with Syndil's powers she wakes them up from the ground since she can feel the earth's pain and just maybe theirs. It would make for a good story, don't you think?

This book is extremely good. Julian is a wondering Carpathian who is nearly ready to give up on his endless, immortal existence. He is asked as a favor to protect a singer that is being hunted by deadly killers intent on destroying her and her band. Yet, to his surprise there is more to this singer then is first apparent, and love and possession are definitely in the air once he gets a whiff of her.
There is a lot of purple prose that start to work your nerves through out, but overall this book is a testimony to a new fresh perspective in romance. CF has the competition beat by a mile with her Carpathian series. Dara Joy is probably the only other author that comes close. If you want to get started on the Dark series I recommend reading them in order, although that is not a prerequiste. Most of the books are enjoyable by themselves. It's just that the names, times, and themes begin to make more sense if you read them in order.

As an interested fan in paranormal romances, i picked up this book after reading Dark Symphony a year ago. BIG MISTAKE. Was rather confused for quite a bit. With all the terms and all the info given out as the Carpathians.

Although this is beleve is not totally the fault of the author as she did recommend to try reading in sequence. In a nutshell this book is interesting and more indepth to the carpathian's lifemating with each other as compared to human female psychics

Good for all Dark Series fans!!

From the back of the book...
Julian Savage was golden. Powerful. But tormented. For the brooding hunter walked alone, always alone, far from his Carpathian kind, alien to even his twin. Like his name, his existence was savage. Until he met the woman he was sworn to protect...
When Julian heard Desari sing, rainbows swamped his starving senses. Emotions bombarded his hardened heart. And a dark hunger to posses her flooded his loins, blinding him to the danger stalking him. And even as Desari enflamed him, she dared to defy him-with mysterious, unparalleled femine powers. Was Desari more than his perfect mate? Julian had met his match in this woman, but would she drive him to madness...or save his soul?

Christine Feehan has done it again. Julian Savage has found his lifemate Desari, only she doesn't know it. She is part of a group of lost Carpathians. This lost group learns alot about their race from Julian. He gives the males hope for the future. There is alot of excellent interaction between the villians (vampires, human assains) and the group. I enjoyed the conflict between Barack and Syndil (who are lifemates and do not know it). The action is non-stop. Thank you Christine for answering so long standing questions about the Carpathian race in this book. Darius has just got a loyal fan who looks forward to seeing his own story. Keep writing Christine.

This one is about the other golden twin Julian & Desari, one of the lost children. In this one it is different from the others in the series because desari is an ancient (about 800 years old) & can do far more than the other women who are lifemates. We finaly meet the brother & sister of Gregori (from Dark Magic), believed to have been slaughtered by the Turks in the 14th century.
Julian is sent by Gregori to guard & protect Desari because she is believed to be a human wrongly targeted by a group of vampire slayers.
When he sees her he realises he has found his lifemate & later also realises he has found the lost children.
Once again Chris has writen another marvelous book in this series & I can't wait for more to be published.

Christine Feehan just keeps getting better and better. This book has it all . Loner Julian meets his match in ancient strong minded Deseri. His cave man tactics do not work on this very opinionated Carpatian Woman. Raised to have a mind of her own, Deseri does not respond to orders the way women are supposed to obey their lifemates. Great secondary characters leave you drooling for more... Definitely did not want this fast paced story to end. For those of you that have read the four previous books you will not be disappointed. Don't know how Ms. Feehan keeps doing it but I say Keep Them Coming.

I tried so hard to like this book, but in the end it was so poorly written, I couldn't even finish it. I have never read anything that was so repetitive. 'Your my lifemate' *Sex scene* 'Dont want any other males near you' *Sex scene* 'You will obey me and do as I say' *Sex scene* and repeat all over again. Pretty much every couple of pages were the same. It was awful. Maybe the end got better but I wouldnt make myself sit through another page.

I tried three times to get to page 100 and failed. Editing problems, lack of plot, lack of character development beyond a flat 2D concept. This is a poorly written book seemingly written for financial gain rather than audience satisfaction.

Since reading this title for the first time, and many rereads later, I continue to believe that we have found the first paranormal Danielle Steele. Ms. Feehan, I feel, will eventually overtake the Paranormal market and all titles will be judged by her talents.
Continued success Christine, we await your next endeavour.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love all Christine Feehan's stories. I have all her books and intend acquiring them on audio form eventually. They are well done and follow the book closely. I enjoyed the interplay between Julian and Desari and the added bonus of the family members along with the interplay with outsiders. Loved hearing from Gregory re: his "lost family" being alive. Wish the author could write them faster because I'm anxious to hear more about other characters. Loved it!

I have come to love Feehan's Dark series. This one is among my favorites. Desari through Julian gives a much needed wake up call to the arrogant views carpathian males hold. Some scenes were quite hilarious. I especially like the scene betwix julian and darius where desari breaks them apart. I won't give you the details on that. Read for yourself. I do recommend you read this novel.

Write on, read on
N.M. Phillips

I happened to think that Dark Challenge was wonderful like all the other Dark series. I just love the suspense and mystery in Dark Challenge. Each Dark series has their own individuality. I love them all. Dark Challenge leaves you wondering.....what's next? I just love it! Especially when you know the series will continue. The suspense just kills me! Christine Feehan is the best and I believe she will only get better.

I really enjoyed this entry in the Dark series. Feehan's storytelling ability is amazing. I especially enjoyed Dark Challenge and would rank it close to my most favorite: Dark Desire. The world she creates is rich in texture and "color." It is great to know she has plans to continue.

I was so bored with all the books I was reading. I wanted something fun and intense, and romantic, a book I could feel as well as read. By chance I picked up this book and it was exactly what I needed. Since then I have picked up every one of her books. You won't be disappointed with this book.

Dark Challenge was all that I hoped it would be, Julian, the strong silent type is perfect for Desari whose talent is her voice. What she lacks in aggression is made up for in her gentleness, innate beauty and is the perfect foil for Julian's "Savage" strength.

I don't imagin there will be too many books of the dark series on aution, because this series is truly a keeper series. They are so exceptionally written, that you can read them now, put them up, read them again next year, put them up and read them yet again.

I have read few stories that have disgusted me more. This is the 21st century, education does not make women's ovaries shrink. Woman do have some power. The author just takes all that away from the heroine and makes her nothing more than a sex object , oh...I am sorry she does have her voice that she can use to influence the emotions of other (as if she can not be logical), and she is property to be protected passed along from brother to husband.
What I waste of time, I was so disgusted I was not able to even finish this book. What kind of relationship is this? Do you want protection? GET A DOG, not a husband. Or better yet, we have police, we do not live in anarchy.

I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed Christine Feehan's other "Dark Series" books. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. I hope she'll come up with some more fantacy, sexually interesring books. This book was wonderful and If you liked the first few books , you'll love this.

I was eagerly awaiting this title for months and was sorely disappointed when I finally did get it and read it! I can't believe how depressed I was after reading it!
Not like the rest! Buy it and read it but definately not like the rest of the series!
:(