Dark Tarot (Dark Carpathians #35) by Christine Feehan-Dual Review, Excerpt & Giveaway
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 9, 2021.
Sandu Berdardi continues to exist only to protect his people. An ancient Carpathian, his entire long life has been dedicated to honor above all else. He knows his time has passed, especially since he has not been able to find his lifemate — the anchor to keep him sane in a world he no longer understands. But just as he truly starts to give up hope, a voice reaches out to him in the night and his world explodes into color.
Adalasia enters Sandu’s mind seamlessly, as if she has been a part of him forever. While she can see the shape of things to come in her deck of cards, her gift is both a blessing and a curse. The true course of Sandu’s quest remains unclear, with danger waiting at every turn. She cannot see everything the future holds, but she does know it is a journey they will take togethe
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Sandy’s Review:
DARK TAROT is the thirty-fifth instalment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult DARK/CARPATHIAN erotic, paranormal romance series. This is Carpathian ancient Sandu Berdardi, and tarot reader Adalasia Ravasio’s story line. DARK TAROT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
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 from dual third person perpectives (Sandu and Adalasia) DARK TAROT follows the building romance and relationship between ancient Carpathian warrior Sandu Berdardi, and Tarot reader Adalasia Ravasio. Sandu Berdardi is one of the ancient warriors who had left the monastery in search of his lifemate but Sandu was considering greeting the dawn until a feminine voice in his head restored emotions and colors. Searching for his lifemate, Sandu finds Tarot reader Adalasia Ravasio, a young woman of immense power, trained as a warrior, but a woman who has spent her entire life on the run, trying to escape a mythological evil connected to Lilith, the wife of Satan. Throughout her life, Adalasia has known that Sandu would be making the journey with her, a journey where the past meets the present leading towards a future together. As Adalasia continues to avert the danger that is ever present, Sandu and the others must battle the master vampires, their minions, and a new evil that has attached itself to the woman he loves.
Sandu Berdardi is a man in search of his past, a past he can no longer remember but a past that may be connected to our story line heroine. Sandu, Adalasia and several ancients launch themselves on a journey around the world, a journey wherein Sandu discovers the truth about his life, and his family, but a journey wherein Adalasia’s ablities reveal a powerful woman, an warrior equal to the power of the ancients, themselves.
As Adalasia, Sandu and his fellow ancients embark on their search for the truth, the reader is reunited with several Carpathians and characters introduced previously in earlier stories: Dominic Dragonseeker and Solange, Solange’s cousin Jasmine, Jubal Sanders and Jasmine’s now six year old child Sandrine, jaguar turned Carpathian Luiz De La Cruz, Lucian Daratrazanoff and Jaxon, Gabriel Daratrazanoff and Francesca, Danutdaxon ‘Dax’ and his lifemate Riley. There are mentions of Josef, Joie and Traian Trigovise, and the De La Cruz’ brothers, Trixie and Fane, Gabrielle and Aleksei, as well as a little more information about Xavier and the parasites that have always been attributed to the high mage. Although not a reunion story line, the author does reveal some history, some back story and updates about the characters we have previously met.
DARK TAROT establishes the Dark series new arc wherein Sandu, and his fellow ancients Afanasiv ‘Siv’ Belan, Nicu Dalca, Petru Cioban and Benedek Kovac must find their lifemates or greet the dawn. Adalasia Ravasio’s ability to read the Tarot cards reveals the legitimacy of the ancients’ search for the other half of their souls, and whether their journeys are fruitless and unkind but Adalasia’s abilities do not end with the Tarot, as our heroine is a fighter, a capable warrior who alongside the ancients, is able to take down the malevolent and creatures that threaten their lives. A new battle has begun, a battle that pulls the Carpathians into a war with demons from the Underworld, where the four portals or gates to hell, have been protected and guarded by four woman, ancient Carpathian females who have yet to find a lifemate of their own.
DARK TAROT reestablishes and reinvigorates the Dark/Carpathian series. A new path, a new evil, a new war wherein the ancients find the other half to their souls, while protecting the people they know and love, revealing more of the history and back story of the Carpathian people. DARK TAROT is a lengthy, complex and detailed storyline wherein the world building is intricate and thorough: the premise is intriguing and intense; the characters are inspiring and energetic; the romance is seductive and passionate.
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Barb’s Reviews:
Dark Tarot by Christine Feehan is the 31st book in her Dark series. We have met our hero, Sandu in the previous few books, as he is one of ancients sent from the Monastery to help. Sandu feels he is coming to the end of his life, until he hears a female voice telepathically call out to him that immediately restores color to his view.
Adalasia, our heroine, is a human, who deals with tarot cards, as well as trained to fight demons. Her gift has been transferred to her from her mother, as each female generation in her lineage proceeded them. Adalasia has been trained to guard the gate, stop the demons since she was a child. She senses Sandu giving up, and she knows somehow, she has a journey that she will need to share with him; it is their destiny. Adalasia can see some of the future in her deck of cards, and along the way will learn more about her powers gifted to her. Sandu immediately tracks where his lifemate is, and to protect her from the danger surrounding her. Sandu will call his ancient friends (Brethren) to help him protect Adalasia, as they must travel to discover why his memory is lost, and find out the truth of why the demons are trying to capture Adalasia.
Dark Tarot was somewhat different, with Feehan laying the groundwork for possibly the 4 ancients to find their Lifemates, as well as protect the other remaining portal gates from opening in Hell. I really loved all the ancients working with Sandu, and how they became so close to Adalasia, as well as the banter between them, as they travel during their journey. Another wonderful aspect of this story was the many visits by Sandu, Adalasia and guardians to gain information about Sandu’s past, as they travel to various parts of the world to meet with many of our favorites (Lucian, Jaxson, Gabriel, Francesca, Dominic, Solange, Dax, Luiz, etc) and we get to see how they are settled in their lives. Wonderful addition.
Along the way, with some of our previous heroes helping, danger escalates as the demons and creatures are always a step behind them. I will not give out any spoilers, as this book needs to be read from start to finish. There is an amazing rescue, that has us holding our breaths.
As noted earlier, this book seems to be a change, that will allow the remaining ancients to get their story told, since there are other gates to protect and maybe find their lifemates. Based on this story line, we hope to see the continuation of more gates into hell being guarded by each of the four warriors (Benedek, Nicu, Petru, & Siv)), and the demon-killing women (Lifemates?).
Dark Tarot was an exciting, tense and fun story, with a fantastic couple in Adalasia and Sandu, as well as wonderful secondary characters. Dark Tarot was very well written by Christine Feehan. If you are a Dark/Carpathian fan, you need to read this book.
Exclusive excerpt courtesy of Berkley/Penguin/Random House
Sandu wrapped his fingers around hers and obediently followed her lead, making certain his much larger body was between hers and the front door of the shop. His woman had a lot to tell him. She didn’t want to reveal her secrets, and he was reluctant to take them from her, something that would be easy enough to do if she persisted in refusing to share details with him. He wanted her trust, and trust had to be earned.
Adalasia moved quickly between the heavy cases in the antique store, opening an ornate door to a back room. There was confidence in her step. The moment Sandu had closed that door, she picked up the pace, rushing now toward the exit leading outside.
“Wait,” Sandu caught at her waist, halting her. “Someone is out there. They expected you to make a run for it.” He set her to one side to listen, scanning the alley. “One man, standing just to the side of the stairs. You stay behind me, Adalasia.”
She bent, drawing her skirt up to reveal soft boots and then the bare skin of a shapely leg. Up higher, on her thigh, she wore a leather harness. She drew a wicked looking knife from the scabbard and concealed the blade against her inner wrist. “Go,” she whispered, glancing back toward the front of the store.
He opened the door and was out, moving with blurring speed, straight at the man waiting for Adalasia to emerge. The watcher held a gun in his hand. He looked to be somewhere between thirty-five and just under forty. Olive-complected, he was a handsome man with dark hair and eyes. Reading his intent, it wasn’t to murder Adalasia, but to kidnap her for some purpose Sandu didn’t have the time in that second to pull out of the man’s mind.
Sandu hit him hard, at the last moment remembering to use the strength of a human. A strong human. Very strong. At the same time, he reached for the weapon, easily took it from the assailant, turned and caught up with Adalasia as the man crumpled to the ground. She gave a muffled little cry as she sidestepped the body. He groaned and writhed, tried to rise and fell again.
Adalasia took the lead again, nearly running along the back alley, turning a corner and once left and then right, circling back around to the store, Sandu pacing right behind her.
“Where are you going?”
“I have to get home.”
She wasn’t in the least out of breath, which told him she was in very good shape.
There had been an apartment over the antique store. Sandu considered that she lived there. When she caught up a ladder and went up it fast and was on the roof, he was certain he was right. He followed her up.
“You realize, they’ll go looking for you there.”
She sent him a quick look over her shoulder as she hurried across the rooftop, running, crouching low as she did. Sandu cloaked them just in case, as well as muffled the sound of their footsteps.
“I’m not going to stay there. I have some things I have to get before I leave.”
She was sure-footed. She’d made this run before multiple times. It was very dark. The sliver of moon didn’t throw much light, and yet she avoided the two large fans and knew exactly when to leap from one building to the next without even slowing down. Adalasia had clearly practiced for just such an event.
She was at a window, crouched low, peering in. Sandu towered over her. “Let me,” he said gently and moved her aside. He wasn’t asking, but he thought it was better to keep orders to a minimum and, the ones he gave, do his best not to make them sound like commands. In his world, he was always obeyed. She didn’t look the obedient type.
“You do realize we’re still connected. My mind and your mind. I can catch little snippets of your thoughts,” she informed him. She sounded amused. “You’re definitely the bossy type. I got that right away.”
Heat blossomed low and wicked in his belly, like a tight fist. At the same time, a deep well of laughter came out of nowhere. He had forgotten laughter. Real laughter. The kind that could rush through one’s body with joy and elation. His lifemate.From DARK TAROT published by arrangement with Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2021 by Christine Feehan.
Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 90 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, Ghostwalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series, Torpedo Ink and Shadow Riders. 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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