Dark Hope (Dark /Carpathian 38) by Christine Feehan-dual reviews  & Giveaway

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 7, 2025

Silke Vriese Reinders knows a war is coming. The demon slayer has seen it over and over again in the cards—and the battle won’t just be for the survival of her remote village, but for all mankind. Silke knows the only way to win will be with the help of the Carpathians. A fact that fills her with trepidation, as she is fated to be the lifemate to one of the ancient supernatural warriors—bound to a complete stranger and responsible for his soul.

One of the oldest, most dangerous Carpathians, Benedek Kovak is more beast than man. Locked away for centuries, the only thing that has stopped him from becoming one of the monsters he’s sworn to defeat is the thought of his lifemate. When Benedek senses the impending danger, he sets out to find her before it’s too late. But their enemy has laid a trap that pushes him closer to turning than ever before.

For so long Benedek has felt nothing. Now, some dark art is compelling him to indulge in cravings he thought long buried. He has no hope that anyone can restore what’s left of his tainted soul, but Silke is nothing like he imagined. Perhaps she’s strong enough to fight back the darkness. Perhaps together they can defeat an adversary hell bent on destroying them all….

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Sandy’s REVIEW:DARK HOPE is the 38th instalment in Christine Feehan’s adult DARK /CARPATHIAN erotic, paranormal romance series focusing on a group of powerful warriors known as Carpathians. This is ancient Carpathian Benedek Kovak and demon slayer Silke Reinders’ story line. DARK HOPE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: All Carpathian males must find their lifemates before they turn vampire or greet the dawn. Without a lifemate, the males no longer see in color, feel pain or experience emotions. A lifemate is the light to their dark. She is the keeper of his heart and the keeper of his soul. As the unmated Carpathian male ages, the darkness begins to envelope his soul, eventually turning the male vampire or forcing him to greet the dawn.

Told in several parts from several omniscient third person perspectives (Silke and Benedek) and the occasional tarot card, DARK HOPE continues to focus on a new direction for the series with the inclusion of dragons, serpents, demons, vampires, mages (from the Underworld commanded by Lilith), and a new character – witte wieven (wise woman) aka spirit walker aka healer. Silke Reinders is a demon slayer, and Lilith has commanded her demons and followers to destroy our story line heroine. Carpathian warrior Benedek Kovak knows Silke Reinders is his mate but as he journeys towards the woman who carries the other half of his soul, he, along with Nicu Dalca, Tomas, Lojos and Mataias encounter an uprising of demons and vampires, signifying the threat of war.

The world building focuses on Benedek’s search for his lifemate; Silke’s need to protect her mother; and the encroaching demons and vampires commanded by the underworld. The action packed story line follows the take down of a powerful demon and his minions with another protracted fight scene wherein our couple must fight separately and apart.

The relationship between Silke and Benedek is one of fated mates. Silke has been taught by Carpathian female Tora that she hold the other half to a warrior’s soul but Silke has no intention of taking orders from an ancient male. The lone $ex scene is intimate.

We are introduced to Carpathian female Tora Kros, one of the guardians of the gate; Silke’s mother and healer Fenja; ancient dragon Szelem, as well as the return of Nicu Dalca, Tomas, Lojos and Mataias. The requisite evil has many faces.

DARK HOPE, once again, focuses on the continuation of new story line arc: from Tarot cards that tell the ancients of the existence of a mate, gate keepers, demons and demon slayers, hellhounds and the Underworld, as well as the woman in charge, who perhaps has the assistant for a powerful vampire and mage. The arc also renegotiates the scarring of a Carpathian, and vampires that continue to work in tandem with someone else. The slow building, action-packed premise is engaging but familiar; the romance is fated and seductive but limited as our couple spend most of the story line apart. The characters are desperate and powerful.

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Barb’s REVIEW: Dark Hope by Christine Feehan is the 34^th book in her Carpathian series.  Silke Vriese Reinder, our heroine, knows there is a war on the horizon. Silke sees in her cards that the battle will begin soon; with the evil Lillith & her army, planning to arrive at her village to find the demon slayer. Silke is secretly the demon slayer, as well as she holds the soul of an ancient Carpathian, who is her lifemate. She knows she will need the help of the Carpathians to save their village.

Benedek Kovac, our hero, is one of the oldest and dangerous Carpathians, who has given up hope to find his lifemate, and after long years fighting against evil, is feels he is at the brink. But he senses impending danger, as he sets out with some of his long-time friends, to find his lifemate, before it’s too late. After a few attacks, Benedek and his group, manage to defeat some enemies, and they arrive in the village, where he will meet Silke.

At first, Silkie and Benedek will spend a lot of time to negotiate terms of their mating, especially Silkie determined to not become his mate.  Her mother pushes her to open her life and give him a chance. Silke was trained from a very young age as a demon slayer, and is having a hard time letting go of her solitary life to partner up with Benedek; even though she finds herself attracted to him.

Benedek begins to see Silke in a different and happy life, as he looks at the world through Silke’s eyes. He finally sees what her life is like in their village, and how he would be happy; with family, friends, and love; and her light changing his dark and chaotic life. Benedek had no hope that anyone could restore what’s left of his tainted soul, but Silke was strong enough to help him fight back the darkness. 

Together they will begin to accept each others purpose and hope. Silke and Benedek worked separately, with him and his group determined to defeat a dangerous enemy and Silke, with her friends doing all they can to stop Lillith’s demons, vampires, mages and creatures in the village.

Dark Hope was an intense, wild, dangerous story that kept me glued to my seat.  I really enjoyed how Silke and Benedek slowly knew they were destined to bond as life mates.  There is more to come, as 4 of the men working with Benedek will eventually find their own lifemates. Dark Hope was very well written by Christine Feehan.

 

Copies supplied for review

Excerpted from Dark Hope by Christine Feehan Copyright © 2025 by Christine Feehan. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

 

 

Silke was fourteen when Astrid’s now familiar voice told her to go to Tora and ask questions about a species of people called Carpathians. Silke always looked forward to listening to her mother’s voice and hearing her advice. This was the first time the recording hadn’t been just personal advice from mother to daughter. There weren’t her usual thoughts on the recording or even tips on fighting demons. Astrid instead detailed how important it was for her to learn about the Carpathian species and reiterated several times that she was to rely on Tora to educate her.Silke had grown up speaking an ancient language, one that Tora referred to as Carpathian. She’d asked, of course, where its origin was, but Tora had simply said she would reveal all to her in time. Silke was so busy learning everything from fighting skills to other languages that she had stopped asking. Now, her mother had specifically instructed her to learn what she could about the Carpathian people from Tora.

Tora had been her best friend almost from the first day Silke could remember, even before she could walk. Tora was kind and patient, and Silke considered her family, a sibling. Since both of her parents had died, as a child Silke clung to Tora. She always seemed older, although when they were children, she couldn’t have been more than five years older-at least that was what Silke had thought at the time.

“When I first asked you about the Carpathian species, you told me they were warriors, hunting vampires,” Silke said to Tora. “At that time, you said they slept in rejuvenating soil and drank blood without killing their donors. You told me they had tremendous powers, including shape-shifting and flying. You were very matter-of-fact. I didn’t have any trouble understanding or believing. Mostly because I knew you. When you told me that every gift comes with drawbacks, and you explained that Carpathians were nearly immortal but would become paralyzed during daylight hours and come out only at night, I realized you were Carpathian. You visited me at night, never during the day. Only once in that conversation did you mention demons and Carpathians in the same breath. I thought you meant vampires, but you didn’t, did you?”

Tora shook her head. “Carpathians view vampires as just that-vampires. They’re wholly evil and prey on every species on this earth they can. They create flesh-eating puppets and ruin the land. They have made alliances in the underworld recently. Banding together and making alliances is new, from what I’m told.”

That didn’t explain the demon reference Tora had so casually made all those years ago. Silke knew where vampires came from. When she turned fifteen, she learned that aside from being a demon slayer, her mother had also passed on another responsibility-a huge one. Silke guarded the soul of a Carpathian warrior. If that wasn’t fantasy, what was? When a Carpathian male was born, his soul split. He retained all the darkness, and somewhere, a female child was born with the other half of the soul made up of his light. His task was to find her and bind their souls together. It wasn’t easy to find their lifemate, and many of them succumbed to temptation, turning vampire, forcing friends to hunt them. The woman could die, and the soul would be born again and again for as long as the Carpathian male still existed.

The thought of such a responsibility at fifteen was disconcerting. Still, at fifteen, none of the things she learned about Carpathians seemed real. They were larger-than-life heroes, hunting vampires and keeping mankind safe. They were warriors fighting for others despite the constant whisper of temptation to kill while feeding just so they would feel a rush. Those were facts she’d learned from Tora.

 

 

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 70 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, Ghostwalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series and Torpedo Ink. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.

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10. Giveaway runs from January 8-12, 2025