DARK BLOOD (Dark Carpathian #26) by Christine Feehan-dual review & giveaway
Dark Blood
Carpathian #26
by Christine Feehan
Genre: adult, paranormal, romance,
Release Date: September 2, 2014
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 2, 2014
At long last you are truly back with us…
Zev Hunter was an elite warrior, a dark-blood dealer of death to rogue Lycans who preyed on mankind. He was a loner, never given to personal attachments, and damned fierce at his job. But Zev begins to question his past and his purpose when he awakens in the darkness of the sacred cave of warriors—and is soothed back to consciousness by the sensuously familiar voice of one woman, the woman who has haunted his fantasies for centuries. She was Branislava, member of the Dragonseeker clan…
Mother Earth called the ancients to witness your rebirth…
For this half-mage, half-Carpathian temptress, the ritual of awakening Zev to the council of warriors was the only way to save him. Locked away for his own protection, the time has now come for his rebirth, for his blood to stir with that of the ancient warriors before him. He has been assured by Branislava that their fates are entwined, that their spirits are woven together for eternity and that his new purpose in life is beyond imagining.
Now, with a blood-sworn vow of honor, mercy and endurance, and under the influence of a siren as bewitching as Branislava, Zev begins to wonder what his purpose is, what it means for the future of the Carpathians and what it is about his rebirth that he has to fear…
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Sandy’s Review
REVIEW: DARK BLOOD is the 26th instalment in Christine Feehan’s adult, paranormal Dark Carpathian romance series focusing on a supernatural species known as the Carpathians. This is Zev Hunter and Branislava Dragonseeker’s storyline but also a story that brings together the previous two instalment leading characters in a battle for their lives. At the end of Dark Wolf, Zev was left mortally wounded following a fatal explosion and Branislava knew that the wounded lycan was her mate.
Zev is half-lycan/half-Carpathian and has hunted the rogue lycans for most of his life. With an attack against Prince Mikhail imminent Zev, Fen and Dimitri, along with their lifemates, band together in an attempt to stop the attack before it has a chance to begin. But the coordinated attacks seem very familiar and the Carpathian’s are put on high alert when an enemy once thought to be dead, appears to be attacking from beyond the grave.
With the return to the Carpathian Mountains DARK BLOOD (and the previous two instalments) bring together many of the Dark Series characters and the premise is more of an ensemble storyline than one directed at any particular couple. The story is the culmination of three intersecting and building storylines (Dark Lycan, Dark Wolf, Dark Blood) where a new enemy has focused its’ hatred on Mikhail Dubrinsky and the Carpathian people. The storyline is slow to build with plenty of repetition, and the majority of the novel centers on the preparation for, and the battle against, a familiar and dangerous adversary. Because the trilogy focuses on the three Dragonseeker females, this particular storyline is awash in chants, verses, spells and magic to aid the Carpathians in the final confrontation.
Throughout the trilogy we were introduced to the Sange rau (vampire/lycan mix); the ‘guardian of all’ (lycan/Carpathian hybrid) as well as the mysterious lycan wolf packs that have remained hidden for thousands of years. With a familiar enemy setting its’ sights on the Carpathian people, someone or something is directing the attacks from behind the scenes. No one is safe when the attacks become personal and aimed at the Dragonseeker women.
For fans of the Carpathian series, there is a reintroduction of an old enemy-a reintroduction that some readers may not like while others will see a new direction. Christine Feehan has reverted to a familiar formula and a familiar premise (one that worked in the past)-a familiar name and face-but one that seems desperate in its attempt bring back the popularity of a series that has struggled for several instalments. I was disappointed and saddened with the author’s backtracking and felt it degraded the entire series.
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.
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Barb’s Review:
Dark Blood by Christine Feehan is the 3rd and final book in this Dark trilogy that began with Dark Lycan, then Dark Wolf, leading to this one. It is in actuality the 26th book in the Dark series.
In Dark Lycan we met Fen, Dimitri’s brother, and finally got to see Tatijana, one of the Dragonseeker aunts, as she was Fen’s lifemate. In Dark Wolf, the couple we have been waiting for, Dimitri and Skyler had their story. Now in Dark Blood, it’s Bronnie’s ( the other aunt) story, and Zev is her lifemate. All the pieces of all three books come together in this exciting climax to this trilogy.
As noted in the description, Zev, who was near death at the end of Dark Wolf, was turned to Carpathian, as a mixed blood of Lycan and Carpathian. We do learn that Zev already had Carpathian blood.
What follows is an exciting story of an unknown threat against the Lycans and the Carpathians, with the vicious Sange rau on the attack. There is a dangerous enemy that is behind these attacks, as we have suspected form the beginning of this trilogy, and we do learn in this book, who that is…surprises are in store. The danger escalates where it will take everyone to work together to hope to survive.
The best part of this book, was seeing so many of our favorites, besides the three couples I mentioned above. Ivory, Razvan, Gregori, Mikhail, and especially in one scene so many more with their mates. Very nicely done.
As I have noted, this was an exciting story, and the romance between Zev and Bronnie (Branka) was very nice. I loved them together. However, and I will not give spoilers, but Christine goes back in time to give us a villain that in my opinion, though it made for an exciting storyline, I felt it cheapened one of the best endings of a previous book . I liked the story, but I did not like bringing this type of villain back.
Overall, it was exciting story, fun, with a great couple, and I loved seeing so many of our favorite Carpathians, not to mention many of the children. We are at 26 novels and there are so many more stories to be told in this wonderful series.
Christine’s publisher is offering a HARD COVER copy of DARK BLOOD to ONE(1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe
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