Tag Archives: Christine Feehan

Dark Storm by Christine Feehan – a Review

Posted on by
42

Dark Storm by Christine Feehan – a Review

Dark Storm is Christine Feehan’s 23rd installment of her widely popular Dark series.  Where to begin with this…I must say, I was completely surprised throughout the majority of this book. A good surprise you may ask? Yes….and no.

Firstly, I want to warn fans who have yet to read; that this book unfolds like a single title. Come to Dark Storm expecting a vastly original, unique premise, unlike anything else we have encountered prior. Much of this novel is made up of content as unknown to this series; as it’s main couple. There is not much familiarity at all; to the World we have come to know with our Carpathians. If you are a fan of cohesiveness compared to previous installments. If you crave for everything to make sense at the end of the journey. Loose ends being tied up. NOT feeling somewhat confused, or that you have more unanswered questions upon completion, than you did when you began–this novel may not be as likable for you.

Moving on to said content, let me begin with the high notes. As always, Christine has a beautiful gift with words. I could see clearly within my mind the lush vegetation of the Amazon. I could feel the heat of the majestic volcano. I could hear the sounds of wildlife. The descriptions were quite vivid, colorful, and I always appreciate when an author can form images within my mind as clearly as if they were pictures. I truly felt as if Ms. Feehan brought us to a whole different place than ever before. Everything felt…new. Instilling a feeling within me akin to how I felt upon reading Dark Prince for the first time. I spent the several opening chapters trying to soak up the details, and learn all I could about this unfamiliar place.

As the pages continue to turn, we see familiar faces come to the fore. One of whom we finally get the chance to know, and one of whom we see a whole new side. Jubal Sanders and Gary Jansen. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I found myself drawn to Jubal. We were given little previous information about him, so although known; he felt like a secondary character newly being introduced. This polite, quiet, loyal man; came out of left field. Sneaking up on me, touching my heart before I even realized it was happening. And then my beloved Rambo…who I must say…has DEFINITELY earned his nickname. These two surprised me with their grit, and tenacity. I was impressed by their willingness to travel into danger, risking their lives for the race who depends upon them. The reason they have traveled to this remote location, is in search of something rare, believed to be potentially vital for the survival of the Carpathian race.

This is where we meet our heroine. Riley Parker. Descended from a powerful line of women of whom Mother Earth considers her children. Riley possesses gifts that are very unique unto this series. The ability to harness elements such as fire, water, air, and the very earth itself. I have read about such gifts in other literary works, and have found them to be quite fascinating. In addition, we see healing abilities unlike that of even the most powerful of Carpathian healers. We spend several chapters with this mysterious female lead, and her mother Annabel.

We also get the first, telling glimpses of our hero in the opening chapters. Danutdaxton. Or simply Dax. We experience his awakening senses to an uncomfortable resting place. We experience his awareness of being alongside an evil as ancient as himself. Readers bear witness to a harrowing journey taken within this volcano…to claim a rare, forgotten power. We watch the attempt of this Carpathian to become MORE in order to defeat an evil unlike the world has ever seen, because Dax knows that the force keeping himself and Mitro Daratrazanoff imprisoned, is not going to hold this time around…

It is at this point, 8 chapters into the story….our two protagonists, and familiar secondary characters meet. I must say, the clashing of these four lives…and their shared enemy….was something to behold. My heart was pounding in my chest. The breath trapped within my lungs as all hell broke loose in a plethora of misunderstandings on all sides. Who was friend? Who was foe? Terrible sounds of bones breaking…the deafening blast of a gun firing at close range….someone collapsing to their knees. I was truly enthralled, and found this meeting of characters quite memorable.

Now. Doing the math we have something incredible. New characters. New plot threads away from the main story arc. Unique gifts from both the hero, and heroine. Enough fantasy elements to please any fan of the genre. A living, breathing story of good versus evil…so why then did I personally finish with a sense of incompleteness? This is MY type of book. Brimming with content that is a breath of fresh air in a long running series. I like when authors offer me something different, show their diversity, and creativity. The main hero merges souls with something I have been a fan of my ENTIRE life, and still I am left wanting. Why?

Remember my warning to other readers in the beginning of this review? My problem is that I am fan of cohesiveness compared to previous installments of a long running series. I crave for everything to make sense at the end of the journey. Loose ends being tied up. NOT feeling somewhat confused, or that I have more unanswered questions upon completion, than I did when I began. *laughing* An author I discovered this year, has completely changed me as a reader. Finding the good of a novel, and focusing on that, without allowing the things that don’t “fit” for me in a novel to get in the way of my enjoyment, is now very difficult.

When I read I want to FEEL. I crave stories that are brimming with emotion. I crave characters who are not just larger than life, and magical, but fictional characters who move me so deeply that I come to care about them as if they were real. This is my biggest gripe in a nutshell. After the intensity, and staggering emotion of Dark Predator, Dark Storm leaves me…under whelmed. Simply put; Riley and Dax as a couple….did not move me. Perhaps this was from the fact that it take 130 pages for the main couple to meet, in a 387-ish page novel. That throws a serious wrench in relationship development. Also, a big damper for me was the violence. I mean, sick to my stomach, shocking displays that seemed sort of out of place in this world. Instead of making Mitro a multi-faceted, despicable villain it sort of gave off a cartoon-ish, over the top vibe.

To sum it all up. This is a wonderfully written novel, by a master class talent in the literary world. Creatively presented and brilliantly imaginative. I can understand why so many have called this their favorite so far, and how the slow courtship from Dax to win Riley’s heart has soothed the fans who were so angry over Zacarias‘s behavior. I am truly glad that Christine has won back some fans in this regard….but the level to which you enjoy this novel, will depend on the type of reader you are. For me personally, Dark Storm is forgettable, because I did not connect to the characters. Give me the intensity and emotion of Zacarias in Dark Predator, any day of the week. 🙂

Reviewed by Miranda

Share

Samurai Game by Christine Feehan – a Review

Posted on by
36

Samurai Game by Christine Feehan – a Review

Before I begin this review I feel I should share a little story about me and the Ghostwalkers.  This was the last of Christine Feehan’s series that I got into and it was only thanks to the urging of fellow Feehanista’s and friends I met in the Feehan Community.  When I first checked this series out I thought it sounded a little on the sci-fi side with wacky experiments and a mad scientist. That genre has never been a favourite of mine, so I decided not to read it.  However, I couldn’t have been more off base, except for the mad scientist part. 😉  To this day some of my friends from the Feehan community still bug me over those thoughts.  😉  I’m glad I finally came to my senses and listened to everyone, gave the first book a try and as they say, the rest is history.  I fell for this series hook, line and sinker.  I love me some Ghostwalkers, now lets get to the review. 

In Samurai Game, Christine brings it all for me. Action, battles, drama, suspense, intrigue, a hot romance, with a side of nutty professor thrown in to complete the recipe.  This story kept me turning page after page just wanting to find out what was happening next.  I love it when a book holds my attention so completely.

Once again our resident wacko, the nutty professor himself Dr. Whitney has his sites set on the Ghostwalkers and this time it’s Sam Johnson.  Christine brings Sam to the forefront in this story and springs Team One back into action.  Since team one is the first team I met they all hold a special place with me.  Sam being one of them.  Even though he’s been more of a background player till now, there was something that intrigued me about him.  I had a feeling there was more to this Ghostwalker and Christine didn’t disappoint.  Sam really stepped it up in his book proving he’s every bit as capable as any of the Ghostwalkers and has some pretty amazing talents.  Let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be on Sam’s bad side, or run into him in a dark alley. 

Azamai Yoshie(Thorn) is very much like Sam.  Once she’s set her sites on a mission she won’t waver from that path till she’s completed it and is satisfied with the outcome.  She’s feisty, intelligent and one hell of a fighter.  When Whitney tossed her out to the streets of Japan deeming her worthless for his continuing experiments, he was sure she’d die there.  A major miscalculation on Whitney’s part.  Instead she was found and adopted by a samurai warrior who trained her in the art of the samurai along with her two adopted brothers.  Now Azmai is making sure that Whitney pays for all he’s done to her and anyone else who’s come into contact with him.  She doesn’t want to see anyone else, especially a child used the way Whitney used her and the other girls.

As I mentioned earlier Samurai Game is packed full of action and it starts from the beginning. I liked the fact that there wasn’t a slow build up to the story, but instead got right into the action.  Someone is taking out people important to Whitney and they don’t know who it is.  I like how Christine introduces us to Azami and lets us see what she’s capable of out in the field.  This is a great lead up to Sam and Azami’s first meeting.  When they meet for the first time both Sam and Azami feel something but aren’t sure what it is.  At first they are leery about the other but soon learn it’s an ambush but unsure who the attack is against.  Both are thrown into action and are equally matched in battle skills and the more time they spend together fighting they realize there’s an attraction that’s much deeper then just the physical.  These two characters sizzle as a couple and I liked how it was more then just a physical attraction from the get go.  The emotional connection they have for one another is strong and real and their scenes together are brilliantly written. Sam is so tender and loving to Azami and shows her what it means to be cherished.  Azami brings the meaning of home and family to Sam, something he never thought he’d ever have for himself. 

Weaved through Sam and Azami’s romance is of course the danger and intrigue that Christine is noted for in her Ghostwalker series.  Dr. Whitney is bound and determined to get a diamond from the Congo to further his madness, but to do so, he needs to sacrifice a Ghostwalker to Ekabela  as his men are in possession of the mine.  Sam is just the Ghostwalker he has in mind and Azami informs team one of this.  Of course Ryland and the rest of the team are cautious about this info from Azami at first seeing as they know little about her, but when Sam’s stepfather General Ranier arrives and informs them of the orders that have just come down, Ryland starts to change his feelings about Azami and Sam’s choice to be with her.  As team one prepares for this mission Christine does an amazing job of keeping the reader on edge and wondering just who is in cahoots with Whitney and these orders.  For a while she had me second guessing a few people only to learn later on I couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

The more I read, the more I loved this story.  I truly love the way Christine unravels the intrigue she creates throughout this story.  It kept me on the edge of my seat wanting more. The battle and actions scenes made me feel like I was there, a part of the action and drama that was unfolding on the pages.   Along with all the action, danger and intrigue there was also humour and camaraderie amongst the men of team one. There’s one scene in the book that had me laughing out loud at the antics of these guys when they get together.  This is a great team and the characters and personalities Christine created just gel perfectly.  I truly enjoyed hanging with team one again and watching them battle and once again outsmart the villainous resident mad scientist Dr. Whitney.  Here’s to looking forward to the next Ghostwalker installment that can’t come soon enough.  If you haven’t ready this one yet, I suggest you do.  

Review by Marcie

Share

Christine Feehan & Suzanne Brockmann-NEWS

Posted on by
Reply

TITLE: Dark Nights

AUTHOR: Christine Feehan

SERIES: Dark Carpathians (re-issue of Dark Descent-with 100 new pages added and Dark Dreams)

 

NEW SERIES from Suzanne Brockmann

 

TITLE: Born to Darkness

AUTHOR: Suzanne Brockman

NEW SERIES: Fighting Destiny

SYNOPSIS:  

In the not-too-distant future, the Obermeyer Institute (OI) has made a revolutionary discovery: With special training, humans can tap into the brain’s hidden powers (think telepathy, telekinetic powers, super strength, and more). The training is strenuous, though, and it works only for those with natural potential.

Tough girl Mac has that potential, and she’s a devoted member of the OI. But there’s one rule she can’t help but bend. Her boss thinks celibacy is key to their work. Mac’s learned differently—an active sexual life enhances her powers. And when she meets Shane, a sexy former Navy SEAL, the sparks are instant. But after the two spend an amazing night together, Mac finds out that Shane’s a new recruit at the institute. How can she mix business and pleasure?

Share

DARK SLAYER by Christine Feehan -a review

Posted on by
1

It is Thursday and Tynga’s Reviews is hosting- DARING YOU TO READ.

Every Thursday, we offer a previously published book or series and Dare You To Read. This week we offer: DARK SLAYER by Christine Feehan. Christine Feehan just released her new cover for her next Dark series book-DARK STORM to be released September 2012.
You can find Tynga at : Tynga’s Reviews

Dark Slayer by Christine Feehan

“Dark Slayer” by Christine Feehan, is different then most of her books in the Dark Series. Whereas, the majority of the books have a male Carpathian as the lead in the story, as he finds his lifemate, in “ Dark Slayer” the lead Carpathian is a female….the long thought dead, Ivory Malinov is our heroine. Christine does surprise her fans with this book, as she brings together two people, whom you never thought would have a story. Ivory, who we had learned in earlier books was killed by Draven, Mikhail’s brother; and her lifemate, Razvan, whom we had been led to believe was equally as bad as Xavier.

This is mostly Ivory’s story, as she is the strong warrior in this book. She had been left for dead centuries ago, having been cut up into pieces and left for the wolves. Ivory used her ability to talk to the wolves to help her, and they put all the pieces of her body buried together. Her promise to them was to take care of them and their pack forever. She ends up spending most of her life with the wolves, and at some point when they had been attacked by vampires, she finds the baby wolves barely holding on to life. Her grief overcomes her, afraid to be alone, as they were all she had, Ivory gave them life with her blood. Centuries later, these same wolves are still with her, magically enhanced by her blood, and converted to Carpathians.

The story of Ivory and the wolves is one of my favorite parts of this story. It is awesome to see how they work together to kill vampires, share blood when necessary, and you truly see their magical love bond. Having spent hundreds of years underground to recover from her horrific injuries, she lived to seek vengeance against vampires, as well as her determination to one day kill her enemy…Xavier. It is this will that makes her possibly one of the strongest Carpathians.Not only her physical strength, but her overall intelligence, ability to unravel spells, as well as her affinity with mother earth that makes her so powerful. She learned early on how Xavier’s mind works, and has spent these solitary years learning everything about him. She has trained herself to become a Mage, a strong warrior, and the Slayer, that is feared by all the vampires.

Razvan, who is Natalya’s brother, has been Xavier’s prisoner for centuries. We have been led to believe that he was evil, but unbeknownst to the Carpathians, Razvan has been forced against his will to commit horrific crimes against his family and the Carpathians. Xavier tortured Razvan beyond endurance. It is those terrifying memories that haunt him about his daughter (Lara), and his two aunts, whom were held prisoner by Xavier. Razvan, had already sold his soul to Xavier to save his sister, Natalya. Razvan was as hunted by the Carpathians, as was Xavier. After centuries, he finally escapes, and makes his way to meet the dawn, so he could die. As he lies dying, while the sun is close to rising, he is near Ivory’s hidden home.

Ivory, out hunting with her wolves, she sees someone lying in the snow. She immediately recognizes that he is her lifemate, and is compelled to save him, though he fights her to let him die. She has to knock him out, and takes him to her hidden home. Over time, while he recuperates, you see their romance slowly develop, since both have
had a brutal lonely torturous life. Ivory is determined to help Razvan recover, and he is still intent to end his life, as he fears Xavier will find him, as well as put her life in danger. Ivory tries to show him how strong he had to be to have survived Xavier’s torture all these years, she also tries to convince him that her goal is to kill Xavier, and she needs his help.

When she leaves him alone in her hidden enclave, as he is still recovering, Ivory comes across a child tied up in a trap. She tries to help the boy, Travis, and finds herself face to face with her brother Sergei, who is a master vampire. With Gary’s help, she was able to fend off Sergei, as Mikhail and Gregori arrive to help, just as Sergei escapes. Ivory is injured, but refuses Gregori’s help to heal her, as she wants nothing to do with the Carpatians.

Back in the hidden enclave, Razvan awakes to feel the sense of danger to his lifemate. He mind speaks to her for help to get out the cave, and he goes to her rescue. With a knife held against Mikhail’s neck, Razvan is convinced that they will not hurt her, and tells Ivory to allow Gregori to heal her. What Gregori finds out while healing Ivory, shocks him. He sees how she was cut into little pieces, cannot imagine how she survived such torture. He tells Mikhail that his brother was the one who did this to Ivory. Slowly, both Ivory and Razvan begin to trust them a little more. Then Gregori tries to help remove Xaviers shards from Razvan, with Ivory’s help, but two shards escape. The story from this point on becomes extremely exciting, as Ivory shows how powerful she really is. She is as good a warrior as any male Carpathian, and her powers are enormous. She saves them from the attack of the monsters Xavier has created.

But still, Ivory and Razvan, are hesitant to totally trust the Carpathians. They promise to come visit them and talk about her plans to kill Xavier. Gregori also wants Ivory to help with saving the babies, who are dying, since she knows all the spells of Xavier.

The action scenes were exciting and there were so many of them. It was non stop entertainment all the way through. You could not put this book down, as it went from one action packed moment to the next. Sergei turned out to be a great bad villain, and Xavier was truly evil. Some of best parts were when Sergei almost killed both of them, Ivory’s perseverance to fight him, and to do all she could to save Razvan. The Carpathians coming to help to heal them was great, as we got to see so many of our favorites in this book. Gregori, Mikhail, Raven, Savannah, Francesca, Shea, Natalya, Vikornoff, Nicholas, Lara, Skyler, Syndil, just to name a few.

When Sergei and Xavier’s plans to frame Razvan for Lara’s injury almost culminate in Razvan’s death, Ivory’s powers come full force. She is a weapon like they have never seen before. When they come to realize their error in accusing Razvan, Ivory is convinced by Gregori and Mikhail to use her ability to help break Xavier’s spell to save Savannah’s unborn twins. This part of the betrayal, the saving of the twins was one of the most exciting scenes in the book. I loved every moment of it. The ending was good, with Sergei now becoming the ultra evil to reckon with in the future. The acceptance of
Ivory and Razvan, his meeting of his many children, and their own acceptance that they are part of the Carpathians was also great and emotional.
I really enjoyed their romance, as it was different then the others. Razvan did not have the ego that the Carpathian males normally have, and he lets Ivory be the warrior that she was meant to be. They were true partners in every sense of the word, proven when they faced Xavier at the end, and having Natalya and Vik help was a nice touch. I loved the added element of the wolves, and loved how Ivory & Razvan interacted with them. Dark Slayer has become my favorite book of the Dark Series, and I loved Ivory. I found this story to be totally exciting, action packed, with suspense, drama, humor, discovery of family and their romance.

Reviewed by Barb

Share

Christine Feehan Exclusive

Posted on by
Reply

Christine Feehan Exclusive

Christine Feehan gave her fans a Valentine’s day present. This is what she told her fans on her site www.christinefeehan.com:

Dark Storm has new hero and new heroine not previously known, although the heroine’s ancestor is known.

Isn’t that a nice present?

TRC Team: So what does everyone think.  A new Carpathian male totally unknown…..A new female heroine..can she be one of the physic women rescued? Will we still have a chance to go back to the Mountains?

Share

Dark Desire by Christine Feehan Re-release

Posted on by
Reply

DARK DESIRE by Christine Feehan 

Dark Desire by Christine Feehan

NEW COVER RELEASE

The re-release of Christine Feehan’s 2nd book in the Dark Series of Carpathian Novels –DARK DESIRE– is set for July 31, 2012.

The stranger silently summoned her across the continents, across the seas. He whispered of eternal torment, of endless hunger . . . of dark, dangerous desires. And somehow American surgeon Shea O’Halloran could feel his anguish, sense his haunting aloneness, and she ached to heal him, to heal herself.

Drawn to the far Carpathian mountains, Shea found a ravaged, raging man, a being like no other. And her soul trembled. For in his burning eyes, his icy heart, she recognized the beloved stranger who’d already become part of her. The imperious Carpathian male had compelled Shea to his side. But was she to be his healer. . . or his prey? His victim . . . or his mate? Was he luring her into madness . . . or would his dark desire make her whole?

Share