Rating: 
Summary: romance at it's best Christine has done it again
Review: Christine Feehan fans have been looking for Byron's story for a long time. I must say it has been worth waiting for. This book is so romantc you will cry, but you will also laugh. Some of the best dialoge yet. Ms Feehan is really developing as an author of renown and can hold her own with the likes of Nora Roberts anyday. Of all Ms Feehan's books this one holds a special place in my heart. The love between Byron and his life mate is so spell binding. I could not put the book down. It was also fun to revisit the scene of the Scarletti Curse in the present time and see how the family has developed. I really enjoyed this book and hated to see it end. Christine Feehan is clearly one of the best authors this century has seen.I look foreward to more "Dark" Books. Keep um coming Christine.
Diane Griffith
Rating:
Summary: Mystical. Spellbinding. Enthralling!
Review: I'm with Wolfy from Florida, who reviewed the Dark Hunter title. This book introduced me to Christine Feehan and her Carpathian series. I picked up the title on a whim while at the grocery store. Once I opened the book, I couldn't put it down. I was transferred to Italy, to the palazzo, to the cool and nurturing soil where Byron recharged each night, where I remained until the very last page of the story had been read. And I could feel each instance of their passion as if I myself had been a participant.I love the interplay between the alpha Byron and his independent life mate Antoinetta. I love that she is Italian, but her name isn't Maria. I love that his name is Byron. I love the way they were constantly linked through telepathy. I love how everything occurred in the dark of night. I love how Byron's only mission in his life was to protect his beloved and her interests at any cost. I love how Antoinetta had the courage to eventually allow herself to depend on the man she loved, and I love that he never let her down. After reading this title I now view relationships in a different way. Thank you, Ms. Feehan. You go deep. I am impressed.
Rating: 
Summary: Managing Readers Expectations
Review: I have bought everything that Christine has ever written to date and will continue to do so........ but unfortuately Christine has not lived up to my expectations of the Dark Series. The Dark Series to me has always had that edge that made you want to turn back to the start after you reached the last page. Dark Symphony, did not have that sharp edge, we all expect. I think the difficulty I had with this story was that I could not visualise Byron in the same way as all the other Dark Heros. I love the fact that we are given more back ground information on the Carpathians, but I believe that Byron's story would have been better as part of an anthology rather than a longer story. We have come to expect our Dark Heros as Guardians of the Carpathians with an intensity of love and passion but this was lacking in Byrone's story. Scarletti Curse has more of an edge, but in its own way (I loved this book)unfortunately Dark Symphony did justice to neither the Dark Series or The S. Curse. Don't get me wrong the book is not bad, it's just not as compelling as Christine's other books. I have read an excerpt from the One and Only and now I wish Christine wrote "Dark Decent" as a full book of its own!!
Rating:
Summary: Dark Fantasy
Review: The modern world mixes smoothly into the gothic in this latest in Ms. Feehan's two series, the DARK and SCARLETTI. Byron has lived for centuries, holding back the darkness that seeks to escape and rule his soul, waiting for the one woman who can bring him to life again and restore the joy in his life and world. At last, he has found her, Antoinetta (Toni) Scarletti, a blind beauty with the voice of an angel. He becomes a friend and protector to her family. Although she is handicapped and lied to, Toni is still formidible in her own right, well able to stand up to Byron's old world dominance of male over female. Together they must solve the puzzle of who is trying to destroy her family. Only then can she take her rightful place in his world. ***** As always, Ms. Feehan's beautiful use of language dances on the edge of erotic in its sensuality, without ever descending to tawdriness. She shows readers to magic and power of love, to transform a gray, nearly evil life into one of joy and hope. The loveliness if the concept of a man and woman destined for one another, even though separated by centuries and forced to wait for one another is an idea she expresses well. Parts of this book make it her best.But if you missed out on the others in the Scarletti series, you might feel slightly lost in some areas.
Rating: 
Summary: Justicano & Scarlettti Mystery
Review: I enjoyed reading about Bryon and Antoinetta, however this book is more of a mystery with a paranormal romance twist. Someone or something is trying to kill the Scarletti's. I read Scarletti Curse ages ago but I didn't have any tingle of connection between that story and this one. Dark Symphony has numerous subplots and though it gives a little insight to Bryon's life, there is not detailed enough info about Antoinetta's. Their chemistry is explosive but more focus of the couple would have been nice. It felt like the author was trying to use this book to open the door for many more. Why is Domonic is this book? Will Tasha and Diego get together? Will there be a Jaguar series? What's up with Josef? Although the Carpathian men are dominating, I just love the fact they that are always so committed to their lifemate and are very open about their love for her. That unique character trait always keeps me buying and reading all of Ms. Feehan's books no matter the genre.
Rating:
Summary: Not up to par!
Review: I have waited breathlessly for Ms. Feehan's latest 'Dark' book. I was pleased that this was Byron's tale. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the book. I have read and reread the other 'Dark' books repeatedly. I must admit to setting this book aside several times before I managed to get through all of it. It's too much Scarletti Curse and too little Carpathian. I did find the introduction of one of the ancients of Falcon's time interesting, and I am looking forward to his story. Byron is a great hero, but he doesn't get enough time to shine. There's entirely too many characters with too many activities for a reader to care greatly about most of them. Sorry, but I doubt that I'll be rereading this one.
Rating:
Summary: At Last, A Heroine to Respect
Review: Although this is the latest in a substantial series, Dark Symphony breaks some new ground for this author while drawing together the threads of others of her stories formally outside the main series. Most importantly, it focuses on Antoinetta Scarletti, a descendent of the family Scarletti, from the Scarletti Curse. It also relates the Scarletti book to the short story, The Awakening, from the Fantasy anthology in which we are introduced to a race of non-Carpathian shapeshifters with great powers of their own. But most importantly, this is the first of the author's books with a heroine possessing a finely-honed sense of adventure. With her previous heroines, "spunky" is the word that comes most quickly to mind, but they are often shown as very timid as well, fearful of this and that and quite unable to make up their mind about anything more complicated than breakfast until the decision is masterfully made *for* them by their Carpathian intended. And her counterpart among the Carpathians is just a little more human as well, less, quite frankly, of a macho jerk and more concerned about establishing a real relationship beyond the magically-fated soulmate business foisted on her psychic sisters. In the first place, Byron is not the typical dark warrior grimly marching around the world killing bad guys and having zero fun; he's an artist and craftsman in gems and precious metals whose work has been admired and collected for centuries. Now this is a man worthy of fantasy. Of course he's handsome and all that, but this particular hunk can make jewelry worthy of the crowned heads of Europe! As the Leo Robin song goes, "A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl's best friend." But more importantly, we all love a man who's good with his hands. After nights of passion, and naturally Feehan supplies this with her trademark attention to detail, the fuses still have to be mended and the children's toys have to be put together properly. We know that Byron won't spend his nights out with the boys like the rest of the rowdy Carpathian do-gooders; he'll be down in his basement workshop puttering with his tools, emerging from time to time with a new necklace or brooch for his ladylove. Yum yum. Antoinetta may be blind but she knows a real catch when she meets him.
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite what I expected
Review: I have to agree with a few other reviewers...Overall, I was disappointed in the book. I was excited to pick up Byron's story as he has been in a couple of other books and his character was interesting. However, unlike her previous books, Byron's character lacked grit in Dark Symphony. The storyline was interesting but slow. Certain accounts were drawn out far longer than needed and the development of the characters was superficial. If you have not read a book in this series, do NOT read this one first. I have read all of the "Dark" series and have enjoyed all of them. It's not necessary to read them in order but I would definitely recommend that you do, as the characters continue to pop in and out of the series. Dark Magic is my favorite.
Rating:
Summary: OK Read but Not the Best
Review: I was expecting Byron as in the past novels to be edgy and exciting, but Byron seemed boring and almost prudish. I had more fun meeting the new vampire on his quest that sets up plots for the next books. I know I will probably get all the next book(s), just hope the next couple has more pep and more chemistry.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting premise, very poor execution
Review: I'll admit I picked this up at the airport and have no familiarity with the other books of the series, but I was stunned by the awful writing -- both style and content -- of this book. The characters are all super-caricatures, the prose is stilted and juvenile, and the dialog is inane. Ms. Feehen writes hot...scenes, but I literally did not finish the book; it gave me the sensation that I was reading a teenage girl's diary wherein she detailed her fantasy life. That said, the concepts are interesting (Carpathian life-mate rules and other powers) and it is a certain departure from the vampire novels I've read...but I simply couldn't get past the failures of the writing itself. Sorry.
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