Monday, October 12, 2015

Book #Review: Dark Destiny (Carpathian Series #13 ) Christine Feehan .@AuthurCFeehan


Book Title: Dark Destiny (Carpathian Series 13 )
Author:  Christine Feehan |WebsiteTwitterFacebook|
Publisher: Leisure Books
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series/Standalone: Series
Format: Mass Market paperback
Cost: $6.99
Pages: 383
How I got it: Borrowed From The Library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: July 2004
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Synopsis:
They were masters of the darkness, searching through eternity for a mistress of the light.... Her childhood had been a nightmare of violence and pain until she heard his voice calling out to her. Golden and seductive. The voice of an angel. He had shown her how to survive, taught her to use her unique gifts, trained her in the ancient art of hunting the vampire. Yet he could not bend her to his will. He could not summon her to him, no matter how great his power. As she battled centuries-old evil in a glittering labyrinth of caverns and crystals, he whispered in her mind, forging an unbreakable bond of trust and need. Only with him can she find the courage to embrace the seductive promise of her ...
So I read this and Dark Demon back to back, this being the first of the stories about the brothers.  I really enjoyed this one, especially because our heroine is a woman who despite all reasons that she should be dead, has survived and fought to be here to be strong, to be feared.  When she was young, her light called to a demon, one she unknowingly let into her home, and one that decided to keep her and torture her.  She became a victim at a young age and as a powerful psychic she called through time and space for the one who was to be her perfect mate, unable to get to her, he shared with her all he knew about fighting, about being a hunter and with his knowledge she became something the vampires have told stories of and someone they feared.

The years are starting to wear on her though, always being hunted never having a home, always being alone, Destiny is tired.  She finds herself coming back to this neighborhood, to this place, and without meaning to creating friendships and unknowingly creating a home.  It is here the undead have chosen as a battlefield, and now Destiny isn't going to run anymore, she's going to stand and fight, unaware that the one who taught her, the one who is hunting her for all time, is close by.  She's not going to be fooled by a pretty face or a nice voice, not like she had been once, and Nic has to prove himself before he can gain her trust.   I loved that Destiny didn't believe Nic right off the bat and that need for him to prove himself created tension in the story as well.

I absolutely loved this story. I loved that we get to see MaryAnn, that this one comes after the events of Dark Melody and I have read that one as well so I'm finally seeing all the little pieces and not just the grand picture.  Glues that will lead them into discovering just what the grand scheme is are laid out here, and we get the setup for a few books to come.  This book also answers the question of what happens to the lifemate when a Carpathian has given up his soul and it is heartbreaking to read.

This book was also one of the most therapy positive books of the series, with Destiny's past she's not able to just accept the authority of any man even if he is her lifemate and I absolutely love Nicolae for understanding and working with her on it.  I loved her friendships and how hilarious the other women were with her. Especially the older women, they were pretty kick ass as well.    Destiny sought out a friend and talked things out with her in a way that allowed her to begin to heal, and Nicolae allowed her to be herself and embraced her desire to set the pace, never pushing her for more because he needed it.  He was a perfect lifemate, he had had to train her in the ways of taking care of the vampires hunting her because she was so young and didn't trust him and didn't share where she was so he couldn't find her to protect her, now that he found her, he wanted her to want him, he understood because he had been there when she was in the most pain and he knew he couldn't scare her away.  It was pretty beautiful to read, how much he allowed himself to be vulnerable so that she wouldn't feel threatened.

I loved the story that unfolds, I loved seeing the discussion of PTSD, and the effects of trauma in childhood.  I'm glad the characters actually worked towards it and didn't act as if because they were in love that it miraculously cured her.  I loved that Nicolae was man enough to let go of the reins in the relationship and worry more about making her feel accepted than being in charge.  I loved meeting Vik in this one and couldn't wait to see him meet his match, because he clearly needed a woman's influence to help him with his idiot beliefs.

It's a great read and it's part of the introduction to realizing the vampires have more in store for the Carpathians than previously thought, it's where our friends begin to understand that the plan is far more insidious than they previously believed and it's about to get seriously real.
 ★★★★☆
Highly recommend and of course, Happy Reading


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